Life in the Fast Lane
by X-Shadow.of.Darkness-X
Summary: REVISED EDITION: A Glee/Fast and Furious Crossover Fic. AU. After Rachel gets in trouble with the LAPD one time too many, her family decide to relocate to Lima, Ohio. However, when the New Directions return to Los Angeles for Nationals, Rachel finds her old crew in desperate need of assistance. Santana/Rachel, Quinn/Brittany, Dom/Letty. Rating may change later on.
1. The Street Race

**Life in the Fast Lane – A Glee/Fast and Furious Crossover Fic**

**Summary: After Rachel gets in trouble with the LAPD one time too many, her family decide to relocate to Lima, Ohio. However, when the New Directions return to Los Angeles for Nationals, Rachel finds her old crew in desperate need of assistance. Santana/Rachel, Quinn/Brittany, Dom/Letty. Rating may change later on.**

**PART ONE - LIMA**

A sleepy suburb in Los Angeles. Neat hedges lined the sidewalk, kept in check by the ever-vigilant residents. Trees swayed lazily in the breeze, casually beding to the will of the gentle summer breeze. One man was in his garden, mowing his lawn, the soft hum of the mower's motor the only noise in the peace. As he powered off the mower, he stopped, looking to the sky. This was why he liked it here. The peace. The tranquility. A butterfly fluttered lazily onto one of his begonias, landing lightly on the bright yellow petals.

In one moment, all of that was shattered.

The silence in the air was torn by the roar of a car engine as a silver Mitsubishi Evo screeched around the corner, the tires squealing in protest, the sun gleaming off the spotless bodywork. Following it almost immediately were three police cars, sirens wailing, all, apparently, attempting to catch the driver of the Mitsubishi.

Rachel Berry clenched her jaw as she shifted gear, slamming her foot back down on the accelerator, allowing the adrenaline to course through her at the burst of speed it granted. She adjusted her line slightly, powering through the lazy suburban streets.

She glanced in her mirror. The police were still right behind her. She swallowed and refocused her attention on the strip of tarmac in front of her.

Maybe Dom had been right. Maybe this had been a stupid idea...

Rachel was tinkering with the engine of an old Ford Fiesta when Letty strode into the garage. Rachel nodded at her cousin before returning her attention to the injectors in front of her.

"_Did you hear?" Rachel heard Letty ask. "Hector's back on the scene. He's been setting up street races."_

_Rachel looked up. She had heard Brian and Dom discussing the street race organizer before, but had never personally met the man, despite having entered several street races herself. She looked up over the hood of the car._

_Dom shrugged._

"_So what? We don't race anymore, Letty. We just got our records cleared. I'm in no hurry to open one up again."_

_Letty shook her head._

"_I wasn't suggesting that. It's the other bit I thought you might be interested in."_

"_What's that?"_

"_He's organizing them in the middle of the day."_

_It was Dom's turn to shake his head._

"_The man's an idiot, then. He's gonna get himself locked up."_

_With that, Dom turned and left the garage, wiping his hands on an old rag and tossing it aside. Letty waited until he was out of earshot before addressing Rachel._

"_I know you were listening, Rach. Come out."_

_Rachel jumped, stepping out from behind the car. She looked across the garage at her cousin, seeing the older woman's piercing gaze trained on her like a sniper rifle._

"_Don't do it, Rach."_

"_Don't do what?" Rachel asked innocently, though she was fairly sure she knew what Letty was talking about._

"_The race. Don't go."_

"_Why not?" Rachel asked. "I can take care of myself."_

_Letty sighed. Her cousin could be impossible was a quality that managed to impress and frustrate her in equal measure._

"_I'm not saying you can't," Letty said. "but if you do get in trouble, the crew can't bail you out. You'll be on your own. So, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you; don't go."_

_Rachel stared defiantly back into Letty's eyes for a moment._

"_Fine." she conceded. "I won't go." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'd better get home."_

_Letty nodded._

"_All right. Say hi to your dads for me."_

"_I will." Rachel promised. She grabbed a grubby cloth from a nearby table, wiping the oil from her hands, let the hood of the car fall back into place with a bang and strode out of the garage. Fishing in her pocket, she pulled out her keys, unlocked her car, got in, revved the engine and pulled away from the garage._

_Letty watched Rachel go with a small frown on her face. In all the years she'd known her younger cousin, she had never known her back down in a confrontation so easily. It was slightly unnerving._

_She shook her head. She trusted Rachel. She wouldn't be _that _rash, surely._

-x-x-x-x-x-

_The venue for the street race wasn't exactly difficult to find._

_After only fifteen minutes of driving around, Rachel found a parking lot full of people standing around cars with the hoods up. Music was blasting from the cars, creating a cacophony of noise, the subs in the trunks of the cars drowning out the people around them._

_Rachel smiled as she pulled into the parking lot. She didn't have any intention of racing; she merely wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Letty and the rest of the guys had nothing to worry about._

_Several people turned their heads to look at her as she pulled up alongside a blue Mazda MX-7. She ignored them all as she unclasped her seat belt and slid out of the car, walking around the front and leaning against the hood, taking in the scene around her._

_She'd been to a few street races since she had learned to drive two years ago, under Dom and Brian's tuition. The scenes were always the same. Loud music, fast, shiny cars, scantily clad women. It was Rachel's idea of heaven._

"_Rachel!"_

_Rachel turned at the sound of her name, a grin breaking out on her face when she saw one of her few friends outside of the team, Alice Donahan, running toward her. She enveloped the girl in a hug._

"_What are you doing here?" Rachel asked._

"_I heard the music, so I figured I'd check it out." Alice said. "I thought you might be here."_

_Rachel smiled._

"_To be honest, I wasn't planning on coming."_

"_You aren't racing?"_

_Rachel shook her head._

"_Not today."_

"_Rachel Berry."_

_Rachel turned to see her least favorite person, Jackson Emerson, standing a few feet away, running his eyes over her car._

"_Jackson." she said shortly._

_Jackson smirked as he inspected the Evo._

"_Nice ride." he commented._

"_Thank you." Rachel said, her tone guarded. She was never quite sure where she stood with the young man._

"_Dom not racing today?" he asked, watching her for her reaction._

"_You know he doesn't race anymore." she snapped._

"_And, by the sound of it, you aren't racing today either." Jackson smirked again. "He taught you well."_

_Rachel's temper flared._

"_If you want a race, we can race." she challenged, Letty's warning forgotten almost immediately in her haze of anger. "Car for car."_

_Jackson simply looked at her coolly._

"_Fine." He turned his head, shouting over the music. "Hey, Hector! Get over here!"_

_Rachel watched a bald man detach himself from a group of people and make his way across the parking lot toward them._

"_What's up, man?" he asked, clasping Jackson's outstretched hand._

_Jackson gestured between himself and Rachel._

"_We're racing. You got a track?"_

_Hector looked over Rachel. His bare head was shining with sweat, and a small mustache and goatee clinging to his chin, while several days worth of stubble covered his cheeks._

"_What you driving?"_

_A crowd had started to gather around them now. Rachel ignored them, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder at her Evo. Hector cast an appraising eye over the car, taking in the decals that adorned the bodywork._

"_Looks good. What's under the hood?"_

_Rachel walked to the car, popping the hood open and propping it up. Appreciative whistles sounded from the crowd._

_The car was Rachel's baby. She had picked it up used for a little under $5000, and had proceeded to gut the car, with the help of Brian, Dom and Tej. Together, they had replaced the engine, suspension and brakes, fitted a nitrous oxide injection system and a new, six-speed transmission and repainted and decorated the body, all the while enduring Dom's ribbing her about following Brian's love of imports, wiling away the hours touting the virtues of American muscle._

_She had borrowed money from Brian, easily paying him back after one race. Her fathers, while still unsure about where she had got the money to pay for the car as well as all the upgrades, were thankfully unaware of the company she kept. In Rachel's opinion, it was probably for the best, because if they knew what she got up to, she would never be allowed to leave the house again._

_Once Hector had inspected the engine to his satisfaction, he looked at Rachel._

"_You got a race computer?"_

"_Of course."_

_There was a few moments as Hector loaded the race course onto Rachel and Jackson's computers. When he had finished, he turned to the crowd._

"_All right! This is an open road race. No roads have been closed off, so the racers have to avoid the traffic as well as the cops."_

_Rachel allowed herself a small smile. She knew from experience that her car could outrun cop cars. She glanced over at Jackson, who was looking slightly less confident. But he wouldn't back down. Not now. He was too proud to risk losing face in front of everyone there._

"_Drivers, get into position!"_

_Rachel and Jackson rounded their cars, slid in and drove to the entrance to the parking lot. The crowd gathered behind and to the side of them. One of the more scantily-clad girls stepped out from the crowd between the cars. She pointed at Jackson._

"_Ready?"_

_Jackson nodded, his hands clenched around his steering wheel, teeth gritted. The girl pointed at Rachel._

"_Steady?"_

_Rachel revved her engine in response._

_The girl raised her arms._

"_GO!"_

_Rachel slammed her foot down on the throttle. The car's wheels spun for a moment before the traction control kicked in. The engines roared as the two racers set off, the noise lost in the roar from the crowd._

_Rachel managed to eke her car in front of Jackson's through the gate, heading out onto the road, following the course plotted on her computer. Glancing in her mirror, she could see Jackson's blue Mazda bearing down on her. She shifted up a gear, trying to open up some distance between them, weaving in and out of the traffic, ignoring the blaring of horns and shouts of anger from other motorists, the music of the street racing scene._

_Rachel let out a shout of laughter as she effortlessly guided her car across the tarmac. This was where she belonged, behind the wheel of a car. There was no better feeling than that rush of adrenaline after every near miss, every high speed chase, every drift. The thrill was almost orgasmic._

_She glanced to her side, and saw, to her horror, that Jackson had managed to draw level with her. She glanced at her computer, noting the right hand turn coming up. She smirked, blew her opponent a kiss, dropped down a gear and swung the Evo round the corner, the sound of rubber screeching on tarmac drowning out the horns of the other cars._

_The racers found themselves on a long, straight road. Rachel power-shifted up a gear, pressing the accelerator into the floor, opening up a fairly sizable gap between herself and Jackson. She returned her attention to the road, narrowly avoiding a Nissan Micra as she swerved into the opposite lane. She could see Jackson closing in on her again in her rear view mirror._

_Suddenly, the other racer veered off down an adjacent road, narrowly avoiding plowing into the side of a BMW._

_'Where is he going?!' Rachel thought. The computer hadn't shown a turn there. At least, hers hadn't._

_A few moments later, she got her answer._

_The wail of police sirens cut through the air._

"_Fuck!"_

_Rachel swerved into a clear lane, slammed the car into sixth gear and sped off, doing her best to lose her pursuers._

It hadn't been easy, and three of them were still on her. Rachel's fingers danced over the controls of her NOS injectors, toying with the idea of engaging the system. She wrenched her hand away as she threw the car around another corner. It would be a stupid idea. The roads around here were too narrow, too winding. She'd plow into a wall or a pedestrian before she got away from the cops.

There was another corner coming up on her right. She glanced in her mirror, then wrenched her handbrake up, twisting the steering wheel to the right. The back end of the car was thrown out as she slid around the corner, the rear wheels losing grip on the road as the brake kicked in. Rachel slammed the handbrake back down, burying the accelerator.

She could see an exit onto a main road up ahead. As she approached, the cop cars rounded the corner she had just slid around. She twisted the wheel around, drifting the Evo out into the traffic. Before the cops could follow, Rachel turned off into another road, hoping the police would think she had stayed on the main road.

She slowed down as she listened. The volume of the sirens increased, then decreased as the police cars sped away down the main road.

Rachel let out a breath. Reaching over, she turned off her race computer. Screw the race. Jackson had quit out anyway. She glanced at the clock on the dash, then turned down another road, heading for her house.

-x-x-x-x-x-

The cops scanned the road in front of them.

"I think we lost them."

The other officer sighed.

"Doesn't matter. I got the plates. I'll run them past R&amp;I and give them a visit at home."


	2. Goodbye, Hello

Rachel swung her car into the garage next to her house, killing the engine as she unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car. Her legs were still shaking slightly, the lingering effects of the adrenaline rush from the race and high speed pursuit that had followed.

As she shut the front door behind her, Rachel heard one of her fathers' voices calling to her from the kitchen.

"Rachel? Is that you?"

"Yeah, Dad." Rachel shouted back as she headed toward the kitchen. The scent of cooking vegetables wafted through the house.

She entered the kitchen to see Hiram standing vigilant next to a pot on the stove, while Leroy was busy cutting potatoes by the sink.

"Where have you been?" Leroy asked her, looking up from his chopping.

"Hanging out with Letty and the guys." she replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "She says hi."

Hiram nodded, but Leroy's eyes narrowed slightly.

"What guys?"

Rachel forced herself not to let out a sigh of exasperation. This was a well-worn topic of conversation in their house.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes! You're a young woman! I want to know the kind of guys you spend so much time hanging out with."

Rachel glared at her father.

"I'm not arguing about this again!" She spun on her heel and stormed out of the room.

Hiram sighed.

"Why did you push that?"

"Push what?"

"Your opinion of her friends. I know you don't trust them, but Rachel's nearly eighteen. She's growing up."

"I get that, but that doesn't guarantee her safety."

"True, but you know Letty. She doesn't take shit from anyone. She won't let anyone hurt Rachel."

"I suppose."

"Come on, tell me if these veggies are done."

-x-x-x-x-x-

If there was anyone that looked like a stereotypical police officer, that person was Officer Gary Thompson. A hardy police officer on the brink of being made a full detective, he was a large, burly 6'6" man, with dark brown hair flecked with gray. His eyes were small and beady, staring out of his face like tiny pinpricks in the dark. When he had first joined the force almost a decade ago, his recruitment officer had taken one look at him and said "No undercover work for you, son. You couldn't look more like a cop if you tried."

"Has R&amp;I got back on those plates?" he asked the younger officer in front of him. Jack Rullins nodded, riffling through the paper on his desk.

"I believe so. Yes, here."

He handed a single sheet of paper over the desk. Thompson reached over, taking it and scanning his eyes over the page. As his eyes alighted on the registered owner's name, his nostrils flared.

"Rachel Berry. I should have known."

"Sir?"

"I've dealt with her before on a couple of occasions, mainly minor traffic offenses. Speeding, usually. She has a rather distinctive car."

Jack cast his mind back to the chase, remembering the silver Mitsubishi, and the decals that adorned the body.

"You got that right." He leaned back in his chair. "So, what now?"

"I think we should pay Ms. Berry a visit."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Leroy and Hiram had just settled into their chairs in the sitting room when there was a loud knock on the door. The two men looked at each other.

"Are you expecting anyone?"

"No. You?"

"No."

They exchanged another look as another knock echoed through the house. Rising, the walked out to the front door, opening it.

The image that greeted them was a strange one indeed. A large, hulking man, next to him a smaller man, both looking straight at the Berry men.

Leroy was the first to speak.

"Can we help you?"

"Yes." said the larger man. "Is this the residence of one Rachel Berry?"

"We're her fathers."

The man nodded, fishing in his pocket, finally withdrawing a badge.

"Mr Berry, Officers Gary Thompson and Jack Rullins, LAPD." They held up their badges. Hiram's stomach knotted unpleasantly. "May we come in?"

Leroy was trying his best to conceal his shock as he stepped back.

"O-of course, right this way."

He led the two policemen through the house as Hiram moved to the bottom of the stairs, hoping his voice wouldn't betray his worry.

"Rachel? Could you come down for a moment, please?"

"Give me a minute!" came the muffled reply.

Hiram entered the living room to see the two police officers sat on the sofa.

"She'll be down in a moment. Can I offer you a drink?"

"No, thank you."

They four men sat in stony silence until Rachel finally walked through the door.

Officer Thompson looked up as she entered.

"Rachel Berry?"

"Yes."

He gestured to an empty seat.

"Please, sit."

Rachel narrowed her eyes at the man inviting her to sit down in her own house as she crossed the room, settling herself in the chair.

"Ms. Berry, I'm Officer Gary Thompson of the LAPD." he began, flashing her his badge. "This is Officer Jack Rullins. Do you know why we're here?"

Rachel was pretty certain she knew, but still shook her head. She didn't dare look at her fathers.

"No?" Officer Thompson's eyebrows rose. "So you don't remember three police cars chasing you through the suburbs of Los Angeles earlier this afternoon?"

"Wait, what?" Leroy asked, his voice full of shock and surprise. Rachel's stomach turned over, making her feel as though she was going to be rather violently ill.

"Earlier this afternoon, we, along with two other patrol cars, happened upon an illegal street race. One of the participants was your daughter."

Both Leroy and Hiram's gazes turned to Rachel, who didn't have to look up to see the fury and disappointment in her fathers' eyes.

"Are you here to arrest her?" Hiram asked fearfully, glancing at the police officers.

Officer Thompson shook his head.

"Not this time. What we are going to do is present you with a formal caution. Should you be caught for any traffic offense, we will be taking you into custody." he said to Rachel, who forced herself to look into his eyes and nod.

The two officers rose to their feet, straightening their uniforms.

"You will receive a formal acknowledgment of this caution within the next few days." He turned back to Leroy and Hiram. "Sorry to intrude on your evening, we'll show ourselves out."

The family sat in silence until they heard the front door slam shut. Leroy and Hiram both turned their gazes onto Rachel, who braced herself for the verbal barrage that was sure to come.

"Rachel."

Her father's voice was so calm that Rachel looked up automatically. When she met their eyes, however, she instantly wished she hadn't. The fury was gone from their faces, to be replaced with pure, unadulterated disappointment. That in itself was more crushing than a thousand barrages of fury.

"I thought you promised us you weren't going to race anymore, after last time."

Rachel nodded, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes.

"I know, I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"You said that last time as well, baby girl. How can we trust your word again?"

Rachel was silent. She ran several possible answers through her mind, but they all seemed weak and feeble. Evidently, her fathers had picked up on this as well.

"Go to your room, Rachel. We need to talk."

Rachel nodded.

"Don't think you're getting off this easily, though." Leroy said as she stood up. "We'll be talking later."

"Okay." Rachel said in a small voice.

"We aren't angry, Rachel." Hiram said gently. "We're just disappointed."

That was the kiss of death for Rachel. Having her fathers shout at her for hours was something she could have dealt with, but this? The knowledge that she had let down the two people most important to her? It was crushing. She left the room as fast as she could without actually running, not letting the tears fall until she was in the hallway.

Leroy crossed the room and shut the door. He didn't speak until he was sat down in his chair again.

"What are we going to do?" His voice was almost desperate.

"I think you already know."

Leroy sighed, bringing his hand to his head, cradling it as he spoke.

"I really don't want to have to uproot our family and move."

Hiram nodded sadly.

"I know you don't, but we may not have much choice. The police are going to be watching her now. I know you know how lucky she is that she wasn't arrested tonight."

"I do, but... her whole life is here. I know I don't exactly have the highest opinion of her friends, but they're still her friends. How can we just rip her away from all that?"

"It's for the best. We need a fresh start, all of us. Rachel deserves to have her senior year without all the pressure of having to be Little Miss Highway Code every time she's out on the road."

Leroy was silent for the longest time, running through every possible scenario in his head. Finally, he let out a long, deep, shaky breath.

"You're right. Get your brother on the phone. See if he'll still let us rent his place in Ohio."

-x-x-x-x-x-

They informed Rachel of their plan a week and a half later, after the details of their accommodation had been settled. As they had expected, she didn't take the news well. They sat for hours, going over every minute detail with their daughter. Finally, grudgingly, she agreed, well aware that she didn't have much choice in the matter anyway.

Before they knew it, their belongings had been packed away into boxes, ready to be shipped to their new home in Lima, Ohio. Rachel had only vaguely heard of the place before. The one thing she was certain of, though, was that it was on the other side of the country.

"If we did it in one straight shot, we'd be driving for about thirty-two hours." Leroy explained. "So, we're going to make it into a road trip of sorts. We'll make stops in Albuquerque, Oklahoma City and St Louis on the way. It'll be like an adventure." He tried to inject some measure of enthusiasm into his voice, though Rachel could tell he was even less thrilled by the decision than she was.

-x-x-x-x-x-

D-Day. That was what all three Berrys had been calling it in the privacy of their own minds. Departure Day.

About a hour before they were due to leave for New Mexico, Hiram pulled Rachel aside.

"all right, you've got an hour. Go and say goodbye to Letty and the rest of your friends. We'll be waiting right here."

Rachel nodded, pushing down the tears as she had been doing for the past two weeks. She grabbed her car keys from the shelf in the hallway, walking through the nearly bare house to the garage.

Fifteen minutes later, she was pulling up in front of the garage where the crew normally were. She could see three cars parked outside. A Dodge Charger, a Nissan Skyline and a Koenigsegg CCXR. Dom, Brian and Roman. The rest would be there as well, if they were there.

She stepped out of her car, locking it and walked into the garage. As she had suspected, the entire crew was there, stood in a semicircle, sombre expressions on their faces.

"We're leaving soon." Rachel said, looking at Letty. Her cousin nodded, stepping forward, holding her arms out. Rachel gave a small smile, allowing the older woman to envelope her in a hug. Letty clung onto her cousin, determined not to let her tears flow.

When she was finally released, Rachel began moving around the semicircle, saying goodbye to everyone individually.

"Thank you for everything, Brian." she said as she hugged the man. "I can never repay you."

Brian smiled.

"We'll miss you, Rach."

Rachel moved to Mia, who's eyes were brimming with tears.

"Hey, no tears." Rachel admonished. "If you cry, I'll cry. And if I cry, then Roman will cry."

"Hey!"

Mia gave a watery chuckle.

"Stay safe." she whispered, hugging the younger girl. Rachel smiled as she was released, stroking baby Jack's face.

She turned to Roman next. The man was determinedly looking anywhere but at her.

"Roman..."

She didn't get to say anything more as the tall man engulfed her in a bone-breaking hug. She let out a soft laugh as he picked her up, spinning her around.

"Give 'em hell in that cow town." he said as he released her. He raised his fist, and Rachel fist-bumped him, chuckling slightly.

Han and Gisele next. Gisele hadn't been able to stop the tears from falling as she hugged Rachel, Han's arm around her shoulders. Rachel was finding it harder and harder to speak as she moved around the group.

When she reached Dom, the tears finally fell. Dom pulled her into his arms, running his hand down her back.

When he released her, he looked her straight in the eye.

"Ride or die, remember?"

Rachel nodded.

She turned back to Letty, who managed a half-smile.

"'It's not goodbye, it's see you later.'"

Rachel smiled.

"You watched it, then?"

Letty nodded. She pulled her cousin into another hug.

"Don't be a stranger."

Rachel took one last look around at her friends. Despite the age gap between them, they were the closest friends she had. Sure, they all had their quirks, but despite that, she loved them all. She swallowed. She had known it was going to be hard, but didn't imagine it would be this hard.

She opened her mouth several times, but no words came out. She raised a hand, before walking back to her car.

As she left, Han pulled Gisele closer to him, and Brian and Dom put their arms around Mia and Letty, respectively, comforting the two women. Roman looked around for a moment, as though lost for what to do, then held his arms open toward Tej.

"Don't even think about it, man."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Just over a week later, the Berrys arrived at their new home. From the outside, it was nothing to write home about. It looked almost exactly the same as the houses on either side of it, simple brick and a wooden porch.

Rachel pulled her car up against the sidewalk behind the pickup her parents drove, parking behind a large removal truck.

They piled out of their cars, moving toward the driver of the truck.

"Sorry we're late." Leroy said to the driver apologetically. "Have you been waiting long?"

"Just over an hour." the driver answered gruffly.

As the men began unloading the truck, Hiram leaned down to Rachel.

"We'll be here a while unloading all this. Why don't you go and introduce yourself to the neighbors?"

Rachel nodded, glad of an excuse to distract from the fact that she really didn't want to be here. She dodged around the removal men as she approached the house to the left of their own. She stepped up to the door, raised her hand and knocked.

A few moments later, the door swung back to reveal a young Latina girl who looked about Rachel's age. She ran her eyes over Rachel as though examining her.

"Can I help you?"

Rachel raised her hand.

"Hi, we just moved in next door. I'm Rachel Berry."

The girl regarded her for a moment, then took her hand, shaking it briefly.

"Santana Lopez."


	3. Welcome to McKinley

Santana Lopez looked up and down the girl in front of her. She was short, 5'2" or so, she guessed. Her dark brown hair was streaked with blonde highlights, the locks framing her face. She was clad in a form-fitting t-shirt and skinny jeans, Converse sneakers on her feet. She seemed to project an air of confidence, with just a hint of trepidation breaking through.

"Hi, we just moved in next door. I'm Rachel Berry." The girl proffered her hand. Santana gave the girl a final glance over, then shook her hand.

"Santana Lopez."

Rachel nodded.

"Nice to meet you, Santana."

"Likewise." A beat of silence passed between them. "Would you like to come in?" Santana asked.

"Sure, thank you."

Santana stepped back to allow Rachel across the threshold. She closed the door and led her through the house to the sitting room. Two other girls were already there, both blonde, arms around each other as they watched a film on the television screen.

"B, Q?"

The girls looked around at the sound of Santana's voice. They glanced at Rachel, standing up.

"Rachel, this is Brittany," she pointed to the taller girl, "and Quinn." She gestured at the other blonde, who nodded a greeting. "This is Rachel. Her family just moved in next door."

Rachel raised a hand.

"Nice to meet you two."

Quinn stared straight into Rachel's eyes, while Rachel stared straight back, not a flicker of fear in her face. Quinn smiled.

"Nice to meet you as well."

Santana and Brittany visibly relaxed at these words. The tension in the air seemed suddenly a lot less palpable. Brittany moved around the couch toward Rachel.

"Did you really move next door to San?" Rachel nodded. "That's cool. Does that mean we get to hang out with her?" she asked, looking at Quinn. Rachel raised an eyebrow at the girl's forthrightness, but didn't comment. Quinn smiled, a real, genuine smile this time.

"Sure, B."

"Sit down, join us." Santana said to Rachel, gesturing to an empty seat. Rachel nodded her thanks, settling herself down into the seat as the other girls took up theirs. Santana reached over to the coffee table and turned the volume down on the movie.

"You're not from Lima, are you?" Quinn asked Rachel. "This is a small place, and I'm pretty sure I'd have remembered you."

"Quinn, you have a girlfriend." Santana said, nodding at Brittany. "Behave."

"Be nice, San." Brittany said. "Anyway, Rachel's totally nice to look at."

Santana dropped her head into her hands.

"_Ay Dios mio._"

"I'm from LA." Rachel said, saving Santana from further embarrassment by her friends.

"It feels super weird here, I bet." Brittany said. Rachel nodded in agreement.

"It's certainly a lot quieter."

"It's quieter because there's next to nothing to do here." Santana said, a slightly bitter note in her voice. "I can't wait to get out of here next year."

"You're a senior?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, so are Q and Britt. How about you?"

"Yeah, me too."

"You came all the way across the country to do your final year of high school?" Quinn asked.

"It wasn't really by choice."

"Why'd you have to move, then?" Santana asked.

Rachel considered her answer for a moment. She'd only just met these girls, but she already felt like she could trust them. Maybe it was just the dynamic of their group, but Rachel felt that thee girls could keep a secret. Or, at least, she certainly hoped so.

"I got in trouble with the police."

"The _police_?!" Quinn exclaimed. "For what?"

"Street racing."

The girls all exchanged looks.

"What school are you going to?"

"William McKinley. My dads arranged the transfer before we left."

The girls exchanged much more meaningful glances this time. Rachel noticed the fact that they didn't comment on her use of the plural "dads". Although with Quinn and Brittany, Rachel supposed, they didn't really have a hypocritical leg to stand on.

"We'll have to keep an eye on Puck, Q."

"Puck?" Rachel asked.

"Noah Puckerman." Quinn supplied. "The school man-whore. When he isn't searching for his next conquest, he likes challenging people to on-the-spot street races."

"What about cops?" Rachel asked, enjoying the gentle irony of the words coming out of her mouth.

"This isn't LA, this is Lima." Santana said. "If the cops know that they can't catch you, they don't even bother trying."

"So that basically gives him carte blanche to race whenever he likes." Rachel said, more to herself than to the group.

"Exactly."

Rachel nodded, storing that information in the back of her mind. If this Puck guy challenged her, he'd be in for a bit of a surprise.

At that moment, two people entered the room, stalling their conversation.

"Hi there! You must be Rachel." the man said, walking over to her, holding his hand out. "I just met your fathers, and they said you were here. Joaquin Lopez. This is my wife, Maria."

Rachel nodded, smiling and standing to shake their hands.

"Nice to meet you. You have a lovely home."

"Thank you very much." Maria said, smiling at her. She liked this girl already.

"We didn't want to intrude." Joaquin said, looking at the other girls. "We just wanted to introduce ourselves to Rachel. Please, excuse us."

As they backed out of the room, Rachel sat down.

"Your parents seem nice."

Santana shrugged.

"As nice as anyone is around here. Because this is such a small place, everyone knows everyone. You kind of have to be friendly."

They passed several hours talking about all manner of things, music, movies, future plans. Rachel found the girls very easy to talk to. Brittany was the easiest to talk to, though her sometimes off-the-wall comments knocked Rachel slightly off-kilter, but the girl seemed so innocent and charming.

Quinn was different. She seemed to regard Rachel with a slightly wary eye, as though trying to decipher something about her. She was pleasant enough when directly addressed, but otherwise remained silent.

Santana was different again. She wasn't as probing with her questions as she wanted to be, and allowed Brittany and Quinn time to talk to Rachel, but she felt like there was something that Rachel wasn't telling them.

Rachel quickly settled down, able to relax in the company of people who seemed genuinely interested in her, as much as she was in them. Back in LA, she'd spent so much time with Dom, Letty and the rest of the team, she hadn't had many friends her own age. Not that she had ever minded, but it was only now that she was realizing what she had been missing out on.

When the clock on the mantle chimed five o'clock, Rachel stood up.

"I should probably get going."

Santana nodded.

"That's fine. No doubt your fathers are waiting for you. I'll see you out."

"We'll see you Monday, Rach."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Monday morning, Rachel pulled her car into an empty parking space in the McKinley High parking lot. Stepping out of her car, she grabbed her school bag off the backseat, turning around, only to be encased in a pair of strong arms.

"Hey, Rach!"

Rachel smiled as she returned the hug.

"Hey Britt."

She extricated herself from the blonde's arms to see Santana and Quinn walking across the lot, waving back at a Lexus as it pulled away.

"Who was that?" Rachel asked, once the girls were close enough to hear.

"Dad's car won't start, so Quinn's mom gave us a lift." Santana said.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Rachel asked. "I would have given you a lift."

"I didn't want to impose."

Rachel laughed slightly.

"It's hardly an imposition, I live right next door to you."

Santana smiled slightly.

"Well, if you're sure, could we have a lift home after Glee rehearsal?"

"Of course." Rachel said, smiling at the group. The girls had told her about the school's Glee club, and had invited her to come along, and after a little coaxing, Rachel had agreed.

"Great." Santana breathed a sigh of relief. "Come on, we'll show you around."

-x-x-x-x-x-

The girls were seemingly the last to enter the choir room that afternoon. They took seats at the bottom of the risers and awaited Will's entrance.

The Spanish teacher arrived only a few moments later. He grabbed a whiteboard pen and scrawled 'Welcome Back' across the board before turning back to the club.

"Right, well, welcome back everyone. I hope you all had a great summer." He clapped his hands together. "The first order of business is to welcome Rachel Berry into the fold." there was a smattering of applause. "Rachel, the floor is yours."

Rachel looked slightly confused.

"I'm sorry?"

"No one told you? Just give us an idea of your voice. Tell the band your song, and give it everything you've got."

Rachel's eyes narrowed slightly at being put on the spot like this. Brittany noticed this.

"Don't worry about it, Rach. It's just like making a speech, but to music."

Rachel nodded and smiled at Brittany, walking over to the band, giving them the name of the song she wanted to do. The band smiled and nodded, beginning to tune their guitars. Rachel returned to the center of the room.

Singing was something her fathers had greatly encouraged. Over time, she had learned to enjoy it, though she had no intention of making a career out of it. It was a hobby, not a job.

"I guess this song sums up why I'm here."

She nodded at the band. Several smiles broke out around the room as the instantly recognizable intro started. Rachel waited for her cue, then began to sing.

Everyone in the room stared at Rachel. Evidently, they hadn't been expecting much from this new transfer kid, especially one who had been brought along by the Unholy Trinity, who weren't the biggest Gleeks by a long shot.

Slowly, the applause began. Rachel bowed and retook her seat.

"That was amazing, Rachel."

"Thank you, Santana."

Mr Schuester got to his feet again.

"Wow, that was incredible, Rachel. I think you're going to be a fantastic addition to the New Directions. I've got a real feeling we'll be going all the way to Nationals this year!" Everyone nodded in agreement. "Speaking of," Mr Schuester continued. "this morning, I received confirmation of the city in which Nationals will be taking place." He picked up an envelope off the piano. He opened it in a way he clearly thought was suspenseful and dramatic.

"This year, Nationals will be taking place in... Los Angeles!"

Rachel's stomach turned over. The city she had just left? Of course it was. Where else would it be?

"So, guys, let's get started!"

-x-x-x-x-x-

After Glee, Rachel agreed to meet Santana, Quinn and Brittany by her car while they retrieved their books from their lockers.

As she was waiting, Rachel noticed someone approaching her. Looking up, she saw Mercedes crossing the parking lot toward her. Rachel leaned back against the hood of her car, awaiting her arrival.

"You did a good job with that song today." Mercedes said as she approached. Rachel nodded.

"Thank you."

Mercedes face changed slightly, and she didn't look quite so friendly anymore.

"I don't know if anyone told you, but there's a pecking order in Glee when it comes to solos."

"Is that so?" Rachel asked indifferently.

"Yes, actually. You're new here, so you're right down at the bottom of the list. Just because Mr Schue was impressed doesn't mean you get to just come in and take my solos away from me."

"I see." Rachel replied, absentmindedly rubbing at a small scratch on the hood of her car.

Mercedes bristled.

"Hey, I'm your captain now, so that means you have to listen to me!"

Rachel pushed herself upright, looking Mercedes directly in the eye.

"Let me guess. Because you're the Glee club captain, you think that means that you automatically get everyone's respect, right?"

Mercedes nodded.

"Let me lay a little truth on you for a moment. Where I'm from, you don't demand respect, you earn it. You put up or shut up. Show me you're worthy of my respect, Mercedes, and I'll give it to you. Until then, back off."

Mercedes stepped forward.

"I wouldn't if I were you."

Mercedes stopped dead, her face going slightly paler at the sound of Quinn's voice.

"Nothing to see here, Wheezy. Move along." Santana said, walking around so she was stood next to Rachel, followed closely by the other two Cheerios. Mercedes looked like she was on the verge of arguing, but seemed to think better of it. She huffed, then stormed off to her car.

"What was that about?"

Rachel shrugged.

"She only wanted to tell me not to steal her solos, so I told her how I work. She wasn't all that impressed." She smiled at the girls. "You wanted a lift?"

"If it's still okay?"

"Of course."

Rachel unlocked her car, opening the trunk. The girls tossed their bags in before opening the doors and piling in. Rachel shut the trunk again and moved round to the driver's side. Slipping in, she fastened her seat belt, turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Hey, Rach?"

Yeah, Britt?"

"What does this do?"

Rachel glanced at Brittany, who was pointing at a control panel situated just behind the handbrake.

"Woah, don't touch that!" she said, knocking Brittany's hand away a little more forcefully than she intended.

"Why, what does it do?" Santana asked from the passenger seat.

"It's a nitrous oxide injection system."

"Quinn?"

"Yeah, B?"

"I don't understand."

"When you activate that system," Rachel explained from the front. "nitrous oxide is released into the engine, which makes it more powerful, and the car's power increases as a result, making the car go faster."

"Is that legal?" Quinn asked as they stopped at a set of traffic lights.

"Perfectly." Rachel replied.

A car pulled up next to them, the driver beeping his horn and winding down his window as he did so. Rachel looked over to see the mohawked boy from Glee sitting in his car, grinning at her.

"Nice car." he remarked as Rachel wound her own window down. "You ever race?"

Rachel smirked.

"Once or twice."

Puck's grin widened.

"The next set of lights are at the end of this road, about two miles away, straight shot. You in?"

Rachel glanced over his car, a Peugeot 206. No problem.

"Let's do it."


	4. New Town, Old Tricks

Puck nodded, then turned his attention to the Cheerios in the car with Rachel, looking at each of them individually.

"You girls gonna step out?"

Rachel cut in before any of her passengers could answer.

"They can stay."

Puck raised an eyebrow, looking at Rachel in barely masked surprise.

"Seriously? You're gonna race with them in the car? What about the extra weight? That'll cost you, girl."

Rachel shrugged nonchalantly.

"Just, uh, consider it your head start." She smiled sweetly at him. "You're gonna need it."

Puck's nostrils flared.

"Fine. When the lights change, we race."

Rachel nodded, rolling her window back up. For a brief moment, she considered prepping the NOS injectors, but thought better of it. She could easily win this. Puck didn't know about any of the modifications she'd made to her car. Even without them, there wouldn't be any competition. She had this.

"Are you sure about this, Rachel?" Santana asked worriedly. Rachel nodded confidently.

"Oh, I'm sure."

There was a whirring sound from beside them as Puck revved his engine. Rachel let out a soft laugh.

"So, you want to play _that_ game, do you, Puckerman?"

Keeping her foot on the clutch, Rachel revved her own engine. She looked over at Puck as her car roared, easily drowning out the Peugeot. She felt a slight thrill of satisfaction as she saw some of the confidence slip from Puck's face. _Fucking eat it._

She returned her attention to the traffic lights.

_Any second now..._

The lights changed. Puck's car surged forward. Rachel lifted the clutch, slamming her foot down on the accelerator. The three girls in her car worked to her advantage; the added weight forced the whole car down, rubber instantly finding purchase on tarmac. It had its drawbacks as well; the engine had to work harder to accelerate, allowing Puck to open up an early lead.

Rachel power-shifted into second, then third as she closed the gap. She could see Puck's car lurch as he changed gear. She shook her head slightly.

_And he calls himself a racer..._

Rachel shifted into fourth as she hit fifty miles an hour. The gap between the cars was getting smaller and smaller with each passing moment.

"Hold on." she warned as she felt the turbochargers kick in. The car surged forward, blasting past Puck's car. She cast a quick glance at Santana, who was flat against the back of her seat, clutching the door handle. A quick glance in the rear view mirror showed Quinn and Brittany, both girls clinging on to each other for dear life. Behind them, Rachel could see Puck bouncing up and down in his seat, as though the momentum caused by his body movements would somehow make his car go faster.

She pushed her car into fifth and floored the accelerator. There was no real need; she was by now way ahead of Puck, and he had no chance of catching up. But she wanted to make a point.

The car was moving at nearly a hundred miles an hour when they blasted past the traffic lights. Rachel wrenched the handbrake up, twisting the wheel and sliding the car sideways, pulling up against the sidewalk. Her passengers all let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Give us a bit of warning before you do that again, alright?" Santana asked, laughing slightly as the adrenaline coursed through her body.

Rachel smiled as she looked at Santana.

"Sorry."

As the girls watched Puck's Peugeot approach, Brittany's voice piped up from the back of the car.

"That was so cool! Can we do it again, Rach?"

"NO!" Santana and Quinn chorused. Rachel laughed softly.

"Maybe another time, Brittany."

Brittany nodded enthusiastically, taking Quinn's hand as the blonde shook her head in exasperation. Leave it to Brittany to be the one not to fear for her life.

Puck drew his car up next to Rachel's as she wound her window down.

"Good race." he said, extending his hand out the window. Rachel grinned as she clasped it briefly. "I gotta admit, I certainly wasn't expecting that."

Rachel gave him a small smile.

"I can't take all the credit, I learned from the best." She shifted in her seat slightly, getting into a slightly more comfortable position. "Can I give you some advice?"

Puck chuckled.

"Seems like I need it."

"I noticed you granny-shifting. If you do that while racing, you lose a lot of speed. You're much better off power-shifting. Google that if you don't know what it is. Sure, it'll tear your transmission up, but it's a hell of a lot faster than your way."

Puck nodded.

"Thanks." He shifted his car into gear. "See you around, Racer Girl."

He pulled away, followed by Rachel moments later.

"Sorry about that." Rachel said as they turned the corner, the car moving along at a decidedly less frenetic pace. "He may think he's hot stuff out here, but back in LA, he wouldn't even be considered stuff. This may be enough to put him off racing, at least for a while. He thinks he's a big fish in a small pond? Well, I'm a goddamned shark."

"So, to stop him from racing, you decided to race him?" Quinn asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rachel allowed herself a small smile as she glanced at Quinn in the mirror.

"I understand the irony, but believe me. He wasn't expecting much of a challenge. I may have just taken him down several dozen pegs."

"And then gave him racing advice!" Quinn exclaimed. Rachel merely shrugged.

"I never said I was going to stop him from racing. I only wanted to take him down a few pegs, show him he's not as great as he thinks he is."

As they pulled up at another set of lights, Rachel began plugging Quinn's address into her race computer. Quinn herself sat in silence, allowing Brittany to run her fingers lazily through her hair. Santana watched Rachel with interest.

"This looks like some pretty high-tech stuff."

"It always does to someone on the outside looking in." Rachel said, fingers flying across the screen. As soon as she had finished, the lights changed and they set off again. "Honestly, it isn't all that complicated. I can talk you through it at some point if you like."

Santana nodded.

"How did you ever manage to afford all this stuff?"

There was a slight pause as Rachel considered what was safe to say.

"I had some friends who helped me out. They also taught me to drive."

The three Cheerios sat in silence, waiting for Rachel to continue. However, it seemed that Rachel wasn't about to reveal any more information. Or, at least, not yet.

A few minutes later, they pulled up outside Quinn's house. The two blondes exited the car as Rachel programmed her address into the computer, plotting a course home. The girls said their goodbyes before Quinn and Brittany walked up the path to the door, hand in hand. Rachel watched them all the way until they were inside before driving off.

"They're cute together." Rachel remarked as they turned a corner, heading onto yet another unfamiliar road. Santana shrugged.

"I guess."

Rachel glanced at Santana.

"You don't approve?"

"No, of course I approve." Santana said, immediately realizing how that had sounded. "It's just – when the three of us hang out, I feel like a bit of a third wheel."

Rachel frowned at that admission.

"Have you said that to them?"

Santana looked straight at her.

"What? No, of course not!"

"Well, why not?"

"Well, it would make Britts feel really guilty and upset, and no-one upsets Brittany. Quinn and I have made sure of that for years."

Rachel nodded.

"I see. Well, you don't have to feel like such a third wheel now that you have me."

Santana's stomach clenched slightly at these words, though she wasn't exactly sure why.

"What do you mean, 'now I have you'?"

Rachel glanced at Santana.

"Well, I mean – we are friends, right?" she asked.

That gave Santana pause as she ran the question through her mind. Naturally, she considered Quinn and Brittany her best friends, and she considered the people in Glee club her friends, to a point. With Rachel, however, it was different. She'd only known the girl for two days, and yet it already felt like they had known each other all their lives.

"Yeah, I guess we are."

Rachel smiled.

"So, when Quinn and Brittany do whatever it is they do, come and talk to me."

"Won't that look like I'm trying to avoid them?" Santana asked, frowning at Rachel.

"Not at all." Rachel replied easily. "It looks like you're giving them space to be who they really are."

Rachel turned off her computer as they turned onto their road. Santana simply sat there, letting Rachel's words sink in.

Santana smiled as Rachel pulled up in front of their houses.

"Thanks for the ride."

Rachel smiled back at the Latina.

"Anytime."

They stepped out of the car, striding round to the trunk to retrieve their bags.

"Did your dads mention the barbecue to you?" Santana asked.

"Yeah, they told me before I left this morning." Rachel replied, locking her car.

Santana nodded.

"Great, I'll see you tonight then."

The two girls hugged briefly before parting to their respective houses, Santana fishing in her bag for her keys. Rachel watched the girl until she was in her house, then turned and entered hers.


	5. May I Please Eat Now?

Rachel jumped as her phone vibrated on the table beside her. Abandoning her English homework momentarily, she snatched her phone up, glancing at the Caller ID, smiling slightly as she answered.

"Hey, Letty."

Rachel could practically hear her cousin smiling down the phone.

"_Hey, Rach. How's it going out in the ass end of nowhere?_"

Rachel's smile widened.

"Nice to see you're as charming as ever. It's been pretty good so far."

"_I saw you made some new friends already._"

Rachel's brow furrowed slightly.

"How?"

Letty let out an aggrieved sigh.

"_Facebook._"

Rachel mentally slapped herself. _Of course._

"Yeah, yeah, blonde moment over." Rachel said, listening to Letty chuckling. "Can we move on now?"

"_Sure._" Letty took a moment to collect herself, before saying, "_So, what's the deal with that Santana girl? Are you guys..._" She tailed off.

"What? No!" Rachel exclaimed, a little too loudly.

Letty was laughing again.

"_I'm just sayin', I don't play for both teams, like you do, but even I can see she's pretty hot._"

"Letty, we've only known each other a couple of days! Anyway, I don't even know if she 'plays for both teams', as you so delicately put it!"

"_So? It's not like that's stopped you before._"

Rachel flushed scarlet.

"Do you really want to go there?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.

"_No, you're right, I'm sorry._"

Rachel took a deep, calming breath before continuing.

"Accepted. Forgiven." There was a slight pause. "Are the rest of the guys there?"

Letty decided to ignore Rachel's obvious attempt at changing the subject.

"_They just left. They're going after Hector._"

Rachel felt a rather large pang of guilt shoot through her at the mention of the street racer's name.

"Going after him in what sense?"

"_He's organizing another race tonight. The crew are gonna go bring him down._"

Rachel glanced at the clock on her wall, her eyes widening as she took in the time.

"Listen, I have to get ready to go out, we'll talk more later in the week."

"_Where are you going?_"

Rachel felt her cheeks become tinged with pink as she blushed slightly.

"Santana's."

She could hear Letty's smile again.

"_Of course. Well, I won't keep you._"

"Letty!"

"_What?_" The older woman laughed lightly. "_I'll call you Saturday._"

"All right. Say hi to the guys for me."

"_Will do. Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!_"

Rachel shook her head as her cousin clicked off, setting her phone down on her desk again. She should have known Letty would have gone there. That hadn't made it any less of a shock, though.

Her thoughts wandered back to the latter half of the conversation, the part concerning Hector. Try as she might, she couldn't force down the feelings of guilt creeping up from her gut. She knew the team would go to any lengths to look out for her, but she couldn't help but be worried for them. They'd only been truly free for a few months. She couldn't bear the thought of them getting in trouble with the police on her account.

She glanced back at the clock.

_Yeah, I should definitely start getting ready._

-x-x-x-x-x-

Rachel, Leroy and Hiram entered the Lopez garden just under an hour later, Hiram clutching a bowl in his hands. As she looked around, she could see that almost everyone from the Glee club was there. Mercedes was the only notable exception.

Puck caught her eye as she looked around. He gave her a small salute and a wink before returning his attention to the tall boy in front of him. Rachel smiled, then looked round as Santana strode over to them.

"Get stuck in traffic?" she asked, grinning, her eyes dancing mischievously. Leroy chuckled.

"Very funny. You can blame this one for our tardiness." he said, jerking his thumb at Rachel, who flushed slightly.

"I take issue with that assessment!"

"Sweetie, not even the Queen of England takes an hour to get ready to go out."

Rachel ducked her head to cover up the redness now coloring her cheeks. Hiram took the moment to divert attention away from his daughter.

"Here, I brought a salad."

"Thanks, you really didn't have to." Santana said, reaching out and taking the bowl from Hiram. "I think Mom and Dad are around somewhere. Rachel, you coming with?" she asked, jerking her head.

"Yeah, sure."

She followed the Latina through the throng of people to the table of food, where Brittany and Quinn were standing, sharing a hot dog. The smell of cooking meat permeated the air.

"Hey, Rach!"

Rachel smiled at the bubbly blonde.

"Hey Britt." She gave a small wave to Quinn. "Hi, Quinn."

The other blonde nodded, swallowing her mouthful of food.

"Hi."

"Mom and Dad know you and your dad are vegans, so they cooked some stuff that you can eat." Santana said, drawing Rachel's attention away from Quinn's less-than-enthusiastic greeting. "It's just over here." She pointed to a small section of the table, holding a mix of various ethically produced foodstuffs.

Rachel nodded her thanks, grabbing a plate and loading food onto it. As she did so, she became aware of a presence next to her. Turning her head, she saw the tall boy Puck had been talking to when she had arrived.

"Hi. Finn, wasn't it?"

Finn nodded, shaking Rachel's hand.

"Yeah. I just wanted to personally welcome you to Lima, as well as to Glee club, seeing as I'm the male lead."

"Oh, thank you." Rachel smiled. "If you're the male lead, wouldn't that make you co-captain?"

Finn let out a low chuckle.

"You'd think, but no. Mercedes doesn't do the whole co-captain thing."

Rachel nodded solemnly.

"Yeah, I got that impression."

Finn smiled at the small girl, biting the end off a bread stick.

"So, is it true?"

Rachel raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Is what true?"

"Puck said you beat him in a drag race earlier. So, is it true? Did you?"

Rachel let out a soft laugh, placing her hand on Finn's arm.

"Don't you think if he was going to lie about that, he'd have said that he won?"

Finn's eyes widened slightly, as if coming to a sudden realization.

"Good point."

There was a moment of silence before Finn spoke again.

"Well, I'll leave you to the girls."

Rachel nodded.

"All right. I'll see you around, Captain."

Finn gave her a small smile before wading back into the crowd. Rachel watched him go, then returned to Santana, Quinn and Brittany.

"What did he want?" Santana asked, watching Finn's retreating back. Rachel shrugged.

"He just wanted to welcome me and ask about the race with Puck. That's all."

The girls nodded, seemingly satisfied with this answer. Rachel looked around the crowd of people.

"So, how come Mercedes isn't here? The rest of the Glee club is."

Santana's face darkened at the mention of the diva's name.

"Well, if truth be told, no one in Glee club _really_ likes her, except maybe Lady Hummel." Santana said, while Quinn and Brittany nodded voraciously in agreement.

Rachel frowned slightly.

"If you don't like her, why do you keep going?"

It was Brittany who answered this time.

"Well, we find it super fun, and we just have to ignore Mercedes for an hour. We aren't about to let her stop us doing something we really like."

Rachel nodded. She wasn't quite sure that was the sole reason, but she didn't want to push her new friends away by being too probing, too quickly.

Rachel raised a stick of carrot to her mouth, only to be interrupted yet again, this time by Puck.

"Hey, Racer Girl, can I talk to you? Alone?" he added, glancing at the three cheerleaders. Rachel sighed lightly, something that escaped Puck's notice as she placed her plate down on the table.

"Certainly."

As the two moved away to a more secluded area of the garden, Santana watched them go, her eyes narrowing.

"I swear, if Puck tries to get her to sleep with him, I'll shove his head so far up his ass, it'll be coming out of his mouth."

Brittany, who had taken the moment to raise her glass to her lips, promptly sprayed her Diet Coke across the lawn as she coughed and spluttered.

Quinn giggled slightly as she mopped her girlfriend's face with a napkin.

"Aww, is Big Badass Santana Lopez jealous of Puck?"

Santana snorted.

"Please. You know better than anyone the craptastic consequences of sleeping with him."

Quinn's jaw set slightly at these words.

"Fair point. Fine, I'll talk to both of them, separately."

"Thank you." Santana paused slightly. "Just don't go all 'Head Bitch In Charge' on Rachel."

Quinn smirked, and Santana knew what the blonde was thinking before she even opened her mouth to give voice to these thoughts.

"Don't even go there, Fabray! I'm just sayin', she's new here, don't go scaring her away."

Quinn exhaled through her nose, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Sure. Whatever."

"Your way with words continues to astound me."

Quinn punched Santana lightly on the arm, then turned her attention to the figures of Rachel and Puck in the distance. Brittany glanced warily at Santana, ensuring the brunette was done talking, before raising her glass to her lips again.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Once they were away from the noise of the party, Rachel turned to face Puck. The boy raised a bottle to his lips, taking a long swig of the contents. _Corona_, Rachel noted, smiling inwardly. _Dom's beer of choice._

Puck swallowed the beer, but still didn't speak. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully; Rachel could practically hear the gears in his mind working as he decided how best to approach whatever it was he wanted to talk about.

After what seemed like an age, Puck finally managed to get around to some speech.

"You're a really good driver."

Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"Really? You brought me all the way over here to compliment my _driving_?"

Puck shook his head.

"No. I mean, yeah, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Well, it is, but - "

He was interrupted as Rachel placed a hand over his mouth, effectively shutting off the stream of jumbled words.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she released her hand from Puck's mouth. Puck swallowed.

"I was wondering... no, never mind, it's stupid." He turned and began to walk away.

Rachel raised her hands, looking around in exasperation.

"Noah!"

Puck pulled up short. No one except his family called him Noah. He turned around slowly, locking eyes with the small brunette.

Rachel fixed her gaze on the boy as she walked forward.

"What were you going to say?"

Puck sighed, ducking his head slightly, half-mumbling his next words.

"I was wondering if you'd teach me how to drive? You know, like you do?"

Rachel smiled slightly, reaching out and tilting Puck's head back up, looking him straight in the eye.

"Why?"

Puck shrugged.

"I thought I was good. Then you came along and completely smoked me."

Rachel laughed.

"You are good. But you're Lima good. I'm Los Angeles good. There's a big difference there."

"So you won't teach me?" Puck asked, a slightly dejected note in his voice.

"I'll teach you, if you really want me to." Rachel said.

"I do want you to." Puck nodded, a small smile gracing his face.

"Very well. Give me a few days to sort out how we're gonna do it. Give me your cell number and I'll give you a call when I have the details down."

Puck smiled as he pulled his cell phone out, trading numbers with Rachel. Once they had the others' number, Rachel gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"See you around, Noah."

Puck allowed himself a small smile as she walked away. This new girl was hot, there was no denying that, but for the first time ever, that was the furthest thing from Puck's mind. He watched Rachel walk back toward the Cheerios.

"See you around, Racer Girl."

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Can I have a word?" Quinn asked, once Rachel was within earshot.

Rachel sighed.

"Fine. But I do want to eat tonight."

Quinn nodded.

"Noted."

She took Rachel by the arm and led her away from Santana and Brittany. She glanced over at Puck before turning her attention to Rachel.

"What did he want to talk to you about?"

Rachel shrugged.

"He wanted to ask me if I could teach him to drive, like I do."

Quinn's right eyebrow shot upwards.

"Really?"

"I was there, so I'd say I was sure."

Quinn nodded, regaining her composure before forging ahead. The change in her demeanor was subtle, but at the same time, incredibly powerful. Her hazel eyes went cold and hard, her expression cool, sardonic. Rachel felt a small flutter of panic in the pit of her stomach, but kept her own expression neutral, determined not to let the blonde intimidate her.

"Look, you've only known Puck for what? A day? We've known him for years, since elementary school. He's always has an ulterior motive, usually his own personal satisfaction."

"What's your point?" Rachel asked, staring Quinn down.

"My point," Quinn said, staring straight back into Rachel's eyes. "is that I know first-hand the consequences of sleeping with him. I slept with him exactly once, and I had a whole year of consequences to deal with. You're a smart girl; I'm sure I don't need to spell it out for you."

Rachel shook her head.

"No, you don't. And while I appreciate your concern, you can rest assured that I have absolutely no intention of sleeping with Puck. Not that it's any of your business who I sleep with, anyway." she added as an afterthought.

Quinn's eyes narrowed. No one _ever_ talked back to her that way, not when she was in full Head Bitch mode.

"We – that is to say, Santana, Britt and I – just don't want to see you get hurt. Because, although she barely knows you, Brittany already really likes you. And if someone Britt really likes gets hurt, Britt feels hurt as well. And Rule Number One at McKinley? _No one_ hurts Brittany."

Rachel nodded.

"Again? Thank you for your concern. I'll certainly keep it in mind."

With that, the brunette turned and walked back towards Brittany and Santana. Quinn stood floundering for a moment. Despite Santana's appeals, she had brought the bitch, and inexplicably been left the worse off.

_Well, this is new._

She looked across the garden, seeing Puck talking to Mike Chang. Crossing the yard in long, confident strides, she grabbed Puck by the collar, dragging him away from the dancer.

"Q, what the hell?"

"Shut up and listen." Quinn said, keeping her grip on his shirt. The boy was much bigger than her physically, but she could see fear flickering slightly in his eyes as he looked down at her. "I don't know what you're trying to do with Rachel, but she's off limits. You don't get to sleep with her."

"Wha – I'm not trying to sleep with her!" Puck spluttered. And it was true. Sleeping with the small girl had been literally the last thing on his mind.

"Well, make sure you don't." Quinn said, not loosening her grip in the slightest. "because that would really hurt Britts if you did. And what's Rule Number One at school?"

"No one hurts Brittany." Puck half-whispered. Quinn nodded.

"Bingo is your name-o." She released his shirt, allowing him a moment to straighten his collar before speaking again. "Glad we could have this little chat."

With that, she turned, returning to her friends. Puck watched her go, his mouth hanging open slightly.

_Damn, she's scary._

-x-x-x-x-x-

Rachel narrowed her eyes at Quinn as she approached.

"What was that about?"

"Just giving him the 411 on your driving lessons." She caught Santana's eye as she spoke. The Latina flashed her a small smile, giving her the slightest of nods.

Rachel looked around her new group of friends. The concept still felt slightly foreign to her. She had never been desperately in want of friends, but having friends her own age was still fairly new to her. Now, she had several, and she felt completely safe with them, something she hadn't felt since she left LA.

"Well, now that all the drama's out of the way," Rachel said, picking up her plate. "may I please eat now?"


	6. The Newest Resident of Loserville

When Rachel awoke at 6am the next morning, she instantly had the feeling that something was going to happen that day. She wasn't sure what, but over the years, she'd learned to trust her instincts.

Pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind, she threw the bed covers back and hauled herself out of bed. She had made a point of never backing down all her life. It wasn't a matter of pride, or arrogance. It was a matter of honor.

After blasting through her morning workout regimen, showering and eating breakfast, Rachel tossed her school bag in the trunk of her car and pulled her car away from the edge of the sidewalk.

She was halfway down the road when she saw a dark-haired figure walking down the sidewalk, clad in the red and white armor that was a Cheerios uniform. Making a split second decision, Rachel sped up slightly, beeping her horn and pulling over, winding her window down as the figure approached.

"Want a lift?" she asked. Santana smiled as she bent down to address the shorter brunette.

"Thanks, but I was gonna walk to Britts' house. Her mom's giving her and Q a lift, so I was gonna tag along."

Rachel shrugged.

"I can give them a lift as well. It's no big deal."

Santana paused for a moment, weighing up her options. Finally, she nodded.

All right, thanks. I'll call Q on the way."

Rachel popped the lid of her trunk, allowing Santana to deposit her bag within. Santana slammed the trunk shut before rounding the car, pulling the passenger side door open and sliding in, flashing Rachel a grateful smile.

"Thanks for this, Rachel." Santana said, withdrawing her phone from a pocket as they pulled away again.

"Again, no problem." Rachel said, glancing at the girl beside her, now tapping commands into her phone.

Santana raised the phone to her ear, waiting for an answer.

"Hey, Q. Tell Mrs P there's been a change of plans." Pause. "Rachel said she'd give us all a lift to school."

Rachel's gaze flicked to Santana as a longer pause seemed to echo through the confines of the car.

"She's just trying to be nice. Do you want a lift or not?" Another pause. "Right. We'll see you in a minute."

Santana hung up, sighing exasperatedly.

"Honestly, that girl..."

"I'm assuming they still want a lift?" Rachel asked, pressing the brake as they approached a set of traffic lights.

"Yeah."

A moment of silence passed between them as Rachel figured how best to approach the conversation she wanted to have.

"So, what's Quinn's deal?"

Santana's brow furrowed in slight confusion.

"How do you mean?"

Well, you and Brittany are pretty friendly toward me, whereas Quinn is... not _hostile_, exactly, but not as warm as you two are."

Santana sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"That's just her way. I used to be the same."

"Why?"

"For Britts, mainly. You'll soon realize that at McKinley, if you're even slightly different, people will use that to tear you down. And Britts _is_ different, in the most perfect way possible, so Quinn and I bitched up, as it were, to protect her. People learned quickly that you don't fuck with Britt."

Rachel smiled slightly.

"Rule Number One, right?"

Santana let out a soft laugh.

"So Q gave you _that_ talk, huh? Turn right up here." She smoothed out her skirt before resuming talking. "Figures. Anyway, when Q and Britt got together, I backed up the bitchiness a bit. I can and will hurt people physically, but Quinn's the master. She can say stuff to people that will stay with them for a long time. She always knows where to stick the knife. No one calls Britt dumb or stupid, at least where we can hear them. Not even us. We could push her out of the way of an oncoming car, but it wouldn't make a difference if we told her she was stupid for not looking both ways before trying to cross the road."

Rachel nodded. She was beginning to understand the dynamic of the girls' relationships with each other a little more.

"It's not even like Britt needs protecting." Santana continued. "She knows, like, four different martial arts. That, along with Quinn and I ready and waiting to kick ass, makes her probably the scariest person at school. Q and I are obvious scary; she's subtly scary."

"You don't seem that scary." Rachel commented.

"And if you don't hurt Britt, it'll stay that way."

Rachel shook her head.

"I haven't known her long, but to me, Brittany seems like an angel on earth. I'd never hurt her."

Santana nodded approvingly.

"Good to hear. Just down there." she added, pointing down a side road. Rachel deftly maneuvered the car around the bend, spying the other two Cheerios stood a little further down the road. Gunning the engine, she closed the distance, bringing the car to a halt next to the two blondes.

As soon as their bags were stowed in the trunk, the two blondes piled in the back seats. As soon as she shut the door, Brittany leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the driver's seat, gripping Rachel in a tight hug.

"Hey, Rach!"

Rachel grinned as she patted Brittany's arms.

"Hey, Brittany."

Rachel glanced at Quinn in the rear view mirror. After what Santana had told her of Quinn, Rachel could see what the Latina had meant. Quinn was smiling, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She looked wary, as though she was carefully scrutinizing her, daring her to try to hurt Brittany.

"Hi, Quinn."

Quinn nodded.

"Rachel."

Rachel let the one word answer slide, gently extricating herself from Brittany's arms.

"Seat belt on, Brittany."

Rachel exchanged a half-glance with Santana as Quinn helped Brittany buckle herself in, an action that went unnoticed by the two girls in the back.

Once she had heard the two clicks from behind her indicating two securely fastened seat belts, Rachel revved the engine, pulling away from the sidewalk.

The uneasy feeling from earlier hadn't dissipated.

-x-x-x-x-x-

That same feeling was still there when they arrived at McKinley.

Rachel slipped the Evo into an empty parking space, killing the engine and unbuckling her seat belt. As soon as they were all out of the car, she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her, almost lifting her off the floor.

"Brittany! You've already given me a hug this morning!" Rachel squealed in protest, but wrapped her arms around the blonde all the same. Brittany grinned at her as she released her.

"Yeah, but not a proper hug!"

Rachel grinned back at her, glancing at Quinn. The blonde was watching her with narrowed eyes. As she caught Rachel's eye, she gave the driver an almost imperceptible nod. Rachel returned it, before grabbing her bag out of the trunk.

"Come on, we don't want to be late."

-x-x-x-x-x-

The uneasy feeling in the pit of Rachel's stomach grew as they walked through the corridors.

As Puck walked in the opposite direction to the girls, he grinned at Rachel, raising his fist. Rachel smiled back at him, raising her own fist, bumping her knuckles against his.

Santana scowled slightly as she watched the exchange, but she didn't have the first clue why it annoyed her.

Brittany allowed herself a small smirk as she looked at Santana. She knew exactly why it annoyed her.

Quinn simply glared daggers at Puck until he was out of sight.

Once they had reached the door to the classroom, Rachel turned to the girls.

"I have to grab something from my locker. Wait here?"

As the girls nodded, Rachel walked down the corridor to her locker. She was halfway through punching in her locker combo when a voice sounded behind her.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the newest resident of Loserville."

She turned to regard the owner of the voice, a huge, hulking boy clad in a Letterman jacket, clutching a large plastic cup in one hand, a cold sneer on his face.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked, staring up into his eyes.

The boy's sneer widened.

"The welcoming committee."

He jerked his arm forward, the one holding the cup. Rachel had a split second view of the contents of the cup before the slushie collided with her face.

If she had to provide an analogy for the feeling,she would have said that it was like being bitch-slapped by an iceberg. Her mouth fell open as the cold seeped through her pores, her eyes screwed shut, the dye burning her eyes already.

She was dimly aware of people laughing. She raised her hands to her face, wiping as much of the icy drink away as she could, opening her eyes, just in time to see her attacker walking away.

Quinn, Brittany and Santana had seen what was going to happen before it even did. Almost immediately, they were at Rachel's side, helping her remove the residue from her face. Santana's face was like thunder.

"Britt, Q, go get Rachel cleaned up. I'm about to go all Lima Heights."

Quinn nodded.

"Come on, Rachel."

The crowd on either side parted like the Red Sea as the group split. Quinn and Brittany led Rachel to the nearest bathroom, while Santana marched away, chasing the perpetrator.

"Karofsky!"

David turned, just in time to see Santana grab him by the shirt, using his momentum to slam him against the nearest row of lockers. He raised his hand to try to break her grip, but she caught his hand in midair, digging her thumb into his wrist, applying pressure to the nerve cluster she knew lay within. David winced as she increased the pressure.

"Is that how you get your jollies, it it, Karofsky?" she snarled. "Slushying small girls?"

David's teeth were gritted in pain, but he managed to growl out, "Fuck you, Lopez."

Santana slammed him against the lockers again, increasing the pressure on his wrist. David's eyes started to water slightly.

"Wrong answer."

Tears were now starting to run down David's face.

"Let me go, you crazy bitch! You're gonna break my wrist!"

A crowd had now started to gather around them. Santana paid them no notice.

"Break your wrist?" she scoffed. "Not likely. But slushy Rachel again? I can promise you, I _will_ break your wrist, and then you won't be able to get your jollies in any way, shape or form. Not to mention your football career will be over. Then who will you be? Let Auntie Tana tell you. No one. You'll be less than even us Glee losers. I can make that happen. Got it?"

David nodded, gasping in pain. You wanted to sink to his knees, but Santana's hand on his chest arrested all thought of doing so.

Santana smirked.

"Good."

She gave his wrist one final squeeze, then released her grip. Karofsky dropped to one knee, clutching at his wrist. Santana gave him one final look of derision before turning and stalking away down the corridor.

People were laughing again, this time at Karofsky. The footballer scrambled back to his feet and barged his way through the crowd, still clutching his wrist.

People wouldn't forget this in a hurry.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Quinn and Brittany were doing their best to flush Rachel's eyes.

"What did Santana mean, 'go all Lima Heights'?" Rachel asked.

"Her family used to live in Lima Heights Adjacent before they moved." Quinn explained. "It's not exactly the nicest part of town."

"I get the picture." Rachel said. She and her fathers had driven through the place on the way into Lima, and none of them had been particularly impressed with the neighborhood.

The two blondes continued flushing Rachel's eyes in silence, the only sound being the steady trickling of water from the tap.

After a few minutes, Quinn and Brittany straightened up.

"We just need to dry your top, unless you have a change of clothing?" Rachel shook her head.

"Take your top off, then." Brittany said.

Rachel stared at her.

"What?"

"We need to dry it. I'll just hold it under the hand dryer."

"Nothing to be embarrassed about, Rachel." Quinn added.

Rachel shook her head.

"I'm not embarrassed. Just... I don't know, taken aback?"

"It's nothing either of us haven't seen before." Quinn said, watching Rachel carefully.

"All right, all right, I'm taking it off." Rachel said. Grabbing the bottom of her shirt, she pulled it up and over her head, handing it to Brittany, leaving her stood in just her jeans and bra.

Quinn ran an appreciative eye over Rachel's almost-bare torso before she caught herself, turning her attention back to Brittany.

This was the scene Santana walked in on; Rachel half naked, Quinn stood next to her, Brittany running Rachel's top under the dryer, allowing the warm air to wash over it.

"What's going on in here?"

"We're just drying her top out, San. Relax." Brittany said over the noise of the dryer.

Santana forced herself not to stare at Rachel's chest, keeping her gaze firmly fixed anywhere else as Brittany finished drying Rachel's shirt out, handing it back to the smaller girl.

"Thanks, Brittany." Rachel said, pulling it over her head. "Toasty."

Brittany smiled at her.

"You're welcome. San? Can you and Rach wait outside? I want to talk to Quinn for a minute."

Quinn shot her girlfriend a confused look. Rachel and Santana exchanged glances, but didn't argue, turning and leaving the bathroom.

"What does Brittany want to talk to her about?" Rachel whispered.

"Damned if I know." Santana replied.

Once the door had swung shut behind the two girls, Quinn turned her full attention to Brittany.

"I'm not making out with you in a bathroom, B."

Brittany pouted slightly, but shook her head.

"No, I really did want to talk."

"What about?"

Brittany was silent for a moment, twisting her hands nervously. Quinn waited in silence, not wanting to rush her girlfriend. Finally, Brittany spoke again.

"San likes Rachel."

Quinn raised an eyebrow.

"I know. They're friends, aren't they?"

"No. I mean, yes, but no. San _likes_ Rachel, like – like I like you."

Quinn's brow furrowed. She was well aware that Brittany was easily the most observant and perceptive of the three of them, and she didn't want to just dismiss her theory wholesale, but still.

"Are you sure, B?"

Brittany nodded emphatically.

"Yeah. Watch how San looks at her."

Quinn nodded.

"I will. But are you really sure? They've only known each other a couple of days."

Brittany shrugged.

"So? It's like in the movies. Just look. But don't tell San I told you. Because she'd get super upset with you. And I don't like it when either of you are upset."

Quinn's expression softened slightly. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Brittany's shoulders.

"I don't like it when you're upset either, B."

Brittany smiled at Quinn as they separated.

"Will you kiss me now?"

Quinn smiled, a real, genuine smile this time.

"You even need to ask?"

She leaned forward, pressing her lips against Brittany's, feeling the taller girl's smile as their lips met.

Quinn grabbed Brittany's hand as they parted.

"Come on, we can't leave those two out there alone much longer."

Brittany nodded, allowing herself to be led out of the bathroom.

As instructed, Rachel and Santana were waiting dutifully outside.

"What was that about?" Santana asked.

"Nothing important." Brittany said, shooting Quinn a quick glance, an action that didn't go unnoticed by Rachel. She narrowed her eyes, looking between her two blonde companions. She opened her mouth to respond, but Quinn cut across her.

"Come on, we're gonna be late."

They had barely taken four steps down the hall before Puck came barreling up to them.

"Did Karofsky really slushy you?!" he demanded of Rachel, dispensing with any kind of greeting.

"Someone did. I didn't get a chance to ask his name."

"It _was_ Karofsky, Rach." Brittany supplied.

Puck ran his hands over his Mohawk.

"Oh, hell no! I'll kill him!"

"Relax, Puck." Santana said, holding a restraining hand out. "I had words with him."

Puck calmed down slightly, a small smirk gracing his face.

"Were those words 'all Lima Heights', by any chance?"

Santana laughed lightly.

"You know me well, Puck. Walk with us?"

"Walk with four lovely ladies?" Puck said, throwing his arms around Santana and Rachel's shoulders. "How could I possibly refuse?"


	7. Cutting a Deal

Rachel ripped the handbrake up, twisting the wheel viciously. Her car slid sideways, narrowly missing a jumble of girders. Releasing the handbrake, she buried the accelerator again, sending the car shooting off towards a large, empty container. The car slipped through easily, the sides of the container barely brushing the wing mirrors. She shifted gear as the car burst from the mouth, turning the wheel again.

She had spent the weekend cruising around Lima, looking for somewhere where she could teach Puck some advanced driving techniques. She had stumbled upon this abandoned industrial estate completely by accident. As soon as she'd seen it, she'd known that it was the perfect place. The place looked like it had been left in a hurry. All manner of industrial items had been left behind, all of which made for great obstacles. She couldn't have planned it any better herself.

True to her word, Letty had called again via Skype on the Saturday, along with everyone else on the team. Rachel hadn't realized how much she missed them all until she actually spoke to them. According to Dom, Hector had mysteriously vanished again after her race, but they were still looking for him. Rachel wasn't particularly surprised by this news, but had felt a wave of relief wash over her. She didn't want the guys in trouble on her account, but going to ground was probably the smartest thing the race organizer could have done.

She had also taken the opportunity to ask them to send her a couple of in-car radios.

"_Why do you want radios?" Dom asked._

"_Someone here asked me to teach them some precision driving." Rachel replied. There was a weighty silence on the other end of the line._

"_Do you think that's a good idea?" Brian asked._

_Rachel shrugged._

"_It's only a couple of lessons. What's the big deal?"_

"_Look, I know we don't have any right to get all preachy on you," Brian replied. "but just be careful with what you say or teach them. I know we're all friends here, but we are dangerous people to be linked with. We aren't exactly low-profile. Just, try to be discreet."_

_Rachel nodded._

"_I always am, I'm not stupid. I've never referred to any of you by name."_

_Han nodded approvingly._

"_Good. Just make sure it stays that way. There's a lot of people out there that would love to take us down. I don't doubt they'd use you to get to us."_

"_I know." Rachel said, staring all of them in the eye. "I don't want to see you guys hurt either."_

_The radios had arrived three days later. Rachel had returned home to see a package waiting on the porch addressed to her. She smiled as she recognized Letty's jagged, scrawling calligraphy._

_Picking up the package, she'd quickly made her way inside, counting her blessings that her fathers were both at work. She wasn't exactly sure how she'd have been able to explain the parcel from Letty away._

Rachel gunned the engine, speeding down the natural long straight between the rows of buildings. As she reached the end, she dropped down a gear, swinging the car around the corner before pulling it to a stop.

Smiling to herself, she released her seat belt and stepped out of the car, looking around her.

_Yes, this is perfect._

She reached into her pocket, pulling out her cell phone. Bring up her contact list, she scrolled through, pressing the Call button when she reached her destination.

"Noah? I think I've found a place."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Brian gently guided his Skyline into the parking lot, killing the engine as he pulled into an empty bay. Unbuckling himself, he stepped out, breathing in the cool night air of Los Angeles. He locked his car, turning and walking out of the parking lot, drawing his jacket a little closer around him.

Thanks to Tej's piggybacking on the LAPD's databases, the crew had managed to discover that the police were also attempting to track Hector down. This had led to a rather heated debate at the garage.

"_Are you serious right now?" Roman exclaimed, after hearing Brian's plan. "You're seriously just gonna walk into the police station and ask for their help?"_

"_No." Brian said patiently. "I'm gonna offer _our_ help."_

"Our_ help?" Roman said incredulously, eyes widening. "No way, man. We don't help the police. This is not what we do."_

"_That's what you said about the Shaw job." Han pointed out, dipping his hand in a bag of crisps._

"_That was different."_

"_Roman, we're not gonna find Hector on our own." Mia reasoned. "We need all the help we can get."_

"_Forget it, I'm not gettin' involved with the police." Roman said, throwing his arms in the air. "This is a personal thing. I told you in Rio I don't do personal."_

_Brian didn't have the energy to argue._

"_Fine. Rome's out. Anyone else?"_

_Silence._

_Dom stepped forward, looking straight at Brian._

"_How do you want to do this?"_

Brian glanced across the road as he walked toward the doors of the police station, spying Dom's Dodge Charger parked a few feet down the road. A little further away, Han's MX-7 was parked on the opposite side of the road. Brian nodded toward both cars before striding confidently through the doors.

This was the part that could go horribly wrong. While their records had been cleared and all arrest warrants revoked, Brian knew that there were several officers here that had long memories. No doubt there would be some who remembered the team, and would love to bring them in for something.

There was a lone officer sat behind the desk when Brian entered. He barely looked up as the door opened, allowing in a little of the chill from outside. It wasn't until Brian was at the desk that the man looked up. Brian was sure he caught a flash of recognizance in the man's eyes, but the officer made no comment.

"Can I help you?" he asked gruffly. Brian composed himself, recalling the information that Tej had gleaned.

"Yes, I wish to speak to Officer Thompson."

The man's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Is he expecting you?"

"Uh, no."

"I see." The man fixed Brian with a piercing glare, a glare that Brian returned, not intimidated in the slightest.

"It's a matter of some importance."

The man chuckled darkly.

"It always is." He turned to a phone situated on the desk. "I'll page him. Wait over there." He pointed at a short row of chairs on the other side of the lobby. Brian nodded his thanks as the officer turned his attention to the phone, crossing the lobby and settling himself down on one of the chairs, looking around at his surroundings.

The lobby was much the same as it was when he was still a member of the force. The same fading posters covered the walls, the clock with the broken second hand still hung above the desk. The carpet was still the same, frayed and gray, mud trodden in by hundreds of visitors over the years. The only sound other than the strangled whir of the ventilation system was a small radio in the corner of the desk, playing a vaguely recognizable 80's synth pop song. The place even smelled the same; a pungent mix of cigarette smoke, old coffee and toner. Brian allowed himself a small smile at these musings. _Some things never change._

The officer's voice cut through the near silence, stirring Brian from his reminiscence.

"Officer Thompson will be out in a moment."

"Thank you."

Brian leaned forward, casually perusing through the many out of date magazines strewn over a small table. He didn't have much time to choose one, however, before a door at the far end of the lobby burst open, revealing a large imposing man in full police uniform, eyes scanning the room, finally coming to a rest on Brian. He grunted as he stepped forward.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here, O'Conner." he said, even as he extended his hand to Brian.

Brian smiled as he stood up, walking across to Thompson.

"It's good to see you as well, Gary." he said, shaking the officer's hand.

"I haven't got long, Brian. What did you want to see me about?"

Brian glanced at the officer behind the desk, who quickly averted his eyes.

"Could we speak somewhere a little more private?" he asked, jerking his head toward the desk. Thompson's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Is this serious?"

"It could be." Brian replied cryptically. He could almost see the gears working overtime in the officer's head.

"Interrogation Room 3." Thompson said finally. "You still remember the way?"

Brian nodded.

"I believe so."

Thompson humphed, then held the door open.

"After you, then."

Brian brushed past the officer, heading through the door, Thompson following closely behind him.

Brian's stomach churned unpleasantly as he looked around. He hadn't noticed when he had worked for the LAPD, but now, the surroundings seemed constricting, trapping. The bare gray of the walls, the sounds of tapping on keyboards, the occasional ringing of a phone, it all seemed rather cold to Brian.

Several people looked up as Brian passed through the ranks of cubicles, some with looks of recognition on their faces. But there was something off. There was a distinct aura of mistrust and hostility coming off the officers in the room. Brian could hardly blame them. If any of them had done what he had done, he would have had a hard time trusting them too.

He turned off down a corridor, thankful to be away from the hostile stares and suffocating atmosphere of the main area. He turned his head from side to side, looking for the room Thompson had indicated.

_There._

He moved toward a door that seemed exactly the same as the others in the corridor, a large number 3 in the middle of the door. A large, forbidding door next to it held a placard as well. _Authorized Personnel Only._ Brian felt another twinge in his gut as he looked at these doors. He had stepped through both several times, but they had never seemed as intimidating as they did now.

He stepped back as Thompson withdrew a large ring of keys from his pocket, easily locating the correct key. Unlocking the door, he gestured for Brian to enter. Brian did so, noting the same familiarity as he had earlier, the bare, wooden table, four chairs, each as uncomfortable as the others, the small camera in the corner. This whole situation felt foreign to him. So much had happened since he had left the force, but life had carried on as normal. It was slightly difficult to accept.

Thompson reached up, turning off the camera before settling himself into a seat, indicating for Brian to do the same.

"All right, O'Conner, you've got your privacy." Thompson said, once Brian was seated. "Talk."

Brian took a breath, deciding quickly how he wanted to approach the conversation.

"They put you in charge of bringing down the street racing scene." It wasn't a question, it was a simple statement of fact.

Thompson's eyes widened slightly, but other than that, his face remained stoic, impassive.

"How do you know that?"

"That's not important. If you're trying to break the street racing scene around here, that means you're going after Hector."

Thompson's eyes narrowed at Brian's lack of forthrightness about his source of information, but decided to let it slip. For now.

"Yes, that's correct. Not that we've had much luck."

Brian nodded, as though this was the answer he'd been expecting.

"I'd have been surprised if you had. Hector's a slippery bastard. If he doesn't want to be found, he won't be."

"And you know this because?"

"We've been looking for him as well."

"We?"

Brian sighed.

"You're a smart man, Thompson. I know you know who I'm talking about."

Thompson nodded.

"Your 'crew'. The guys who took down Hernan Reyes in Brazil and Owen Shaw in Europe." Brian nodded. "Why have you been looking for him?"

Brian ran a hand over his chin, leaning back in his chair.

"He is the reason one of my friends had to leave town."

"Rachel Berry?"

Brian nodded.

"Very good."

"So you want to find him, for what? Revenge?"

"We just want to talk to him. And neither you or we are going to find him without the other." Brian looked Thompson straight in the eye. "We need each other."

Thompson stared at Brian for a long time. Brian waited with bated breath.

"Why should I accept your help?"

"You'll never find him on your own. And we can do things that the LAPD can't."

"You are aware, that if I accept your help, I can't just let you have run of the streets."

Brian nodded.

"I am, but we will need a bit of leeway. To find him, we need to get his attention. We need to race."

Thompson scratched at his chin.

"You want me to put my ass on the line, just so you can 'have a chat'?" he asked, making quotation marks in the air with his fingers.

"This is more for your benefit than ours." Brian reasoned. "Finding Hector won't bring Rachel back, but it could be the arrest that secures you a rank as a detective."

Thompson steeped his fingers, staring at them as if the answer would appear on them as if by magic. Finally, after what seemed like an age, he looked up at Brian.

"All right, O'Conner. But you have to supply your own resources. If your guys fuck this up, it's all on you. I won't be dragged down by your people."

Brian smiled, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.

"You won't. We're professionals."

Thompson frowned.

"Being a professional criminal isn't something to be proud of, O'Conner."

Brian looked immediately chastened.

"My apologies."

Thompson waved his hand.

"Accepted. Now, get out of here before I change my mind."

Brian stood, allowing his legs to take him out of the police station as quickly as they could without actually running.

After the stifling warmth of the station, the night air felt stinging on his cheeks. Brian zipped his jacket up to just under his chin, glancing left and right before crossing over to Dom's Charger. The window wound down as he approached.

"Well?" Dom asked, once Brian was next to the car.

"We're all clear, but if it all goes to hell, we're on our own."

Dom nodded, as though this was the answer he had expected.

"I thought as much. At least we're in." He motioned to Han, who nodded. "I'll see you at home." Dom said to Brian, who nodded, stepping away from the car as Dom turned the key in the ignition, pulling away, followed closely by Han.

Brian watched them go before turning and jogging back to his Skyline. Slipping easily into the driver's seat, he started the car, pulling out of the parking lot.

_At least we're in._

-x-x-x-x-x-

Santana looked up as she placed the garbage bag in her hand in the trash can outside her house, a car door slamming close by. She looked over to see Rachel walking around her car.

Santana dropped the lid back down on the trash can, hurrying to intercept Rachel. The plan had been to go to her house, but here she was anyway.

"Hey, Rach!"

Rachel looked up, smiling as she saw Santana jogging toward her.

"Hey, San. What's up?"

Santana drew to a stop in front of the small racer.

"Quinn, Britts and I are having a movie night. You wanna join us?"

Rachel's face brightened.

"Sure! I have to go to Noah's now, but I'll be back soon. Is that okay?"

A ghost of a scowl flashed across Santana's face at the mention of the boy's name, but she hid it quickly.

"Yeah, sure. Have fun." _Okay, that came out a little bitchier than I intended._ she thought as she looked at Rachel.

Rachel's brow furrowed slightly at Santana's tone, but when she spoke, her voice was perfectly pleasant.

"I'll only be half an hour or so. I just need to drop something off."

Santana wanted to ask what, but managed to hold her tongue. Just.

"All right. We'll see you in a bit."

She stood on the sidewalk, watching Rachel's car until she was out of sight. She shook herself slightly as she re-entered her house. What the hell was her problem? When did she suddenly start caring who or what Puck did?

She closed the door behind her, the snap of the door attracting Quinn and Brittany's attention.

"Isn't Rachel joining us?" Brittany asked, noting the lack of a second brunette. Santana shook her head.

"She's joining us later. She has to go see Puck about something." Try as she might, she couldn't quite keep the bitterness out of her tone. Quinn and Brittany exchanged meaningful looks as Santana knelt by her family's large collection of DVD's, an action that went unnoticed by the Latina.

"What do you guys want to start with?" Santana asked her two friends, even though she knew from experience that the two girls more often than not started making out during a film, leaving Santana to essentially watch it alone.

Quinn shrugged.

"Your choice."

Santana sighed, pulling out a box at random and putting the disc in the DVD player, settling herself on the couch. She looked over to her friends, who were already wrapped up in each other's arms.

Rachel couldn't get back quickly enough.


	8. LA Drift, Part I

Brian tore his gaze away from his son with difficulty as the roar of a car engine sounded from outside. He kissed the top of Jack's head, standing up and crossing to the large window, peering out. Sure enough, he could just make out the figure of Han approaching the house.

After a quick glance at Dom, who nodded and knelt on the floor next to his nephew, Brian left the room, heading toward the door.

"Hey, man. What you got for us?" Brian asked as soon as the door was open. He stepped back, allowing Han to cross the threshold.

"Not a lot, unfortunately." Han said apologetically, following Brian back through the house to the sitting room. He raised a hand in greeting to Dom and sat himself down on the couch. "The LAPD's been coming down hard on the racing scene around here."

"Yeah, I got that impression." Brian said, remembering his conversation with Thompson.

"That's not to say the racing circuit is dead, but it's a lot quieter."

Brian sighed, running a hand across the stubble on his chin.

"That's gonna make this a lot harder."

Han nodded in agreement.

"True, but not impossible. I did a little digging. Turns out something's going down tonight. Not a street race, per se, but close enough."

Brian sat up a little.

"What is it?"

"You know that parking lot on the corner of 7th and Figueroa?" Brian and Dom both nodded. "Someone's set up a drifting event there tonight. I don't think it's Hector, though." he added, as Brian opened his mouth to speak. "Drifting's not his thing."

Brian shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. All we need is an in. Once word gets out that we're back on the scene, Hector will come crawling out of whatever hole he's currently cowering in."

Dom stopped rolling the toy cars back and forth in front of Jack, looking up at Han.

"You're our best drifter. You up for the challenge?"

Han nodded, his jaw set.

"Just say the word."

-x-x-x-x-x-

The drive to Puck's was fairly uneventful. Rachel simply allowed herself to take in the scenery of Lima as she drove, the latest cheesy pop hit emanating from her stereo. She tapped her hands on the steering wheel along to the beat, adding her voice in the choruses.

When she pulled up outside Puck's house, she could see the boy through the open garage door, bent over the front of his car, tinkering with something under the hood. Music blasted from a boom box in the corner of the garage.

Rachel smiled as she slid out of her car, walking around and grabbing one of the radios from Letty. Tucking the box under her arm, she strode into the garage, her footsteps masked by the music.

"Noah?"

Puck jumped, straightening up quickly. There was a loud bang as his head connected solidly with the metal hood.

"Ah, shit!" He turned, raising his hand to his head, investigating the damage. "Rachel?"

A quick visual examination showed Rachel that there was no real damage. Safe in this information, she allowed a small chuckle to escape her lips.

"Sorry, Noah." She nodded toward the open hood. "what are you doing?"

Puck shrugged, trying to ignore the slight throbbing in the back of his head in an attempt to preserve some of his dignity.

"Just topping up the brake fluid. No big deal."

Rachel nodded, seemingly satisfied with this answer. She hefted the box in her hands.

"I just wanted to drop this to you. I had a friend send me a pair of radios, so I can teach you some techniques while demonstrating them to you as well."

Puck reached out, taking the box from Rachel.

"Thanks, Rach."

"No problem."

She waited in silence as Puck walked across the garage, placing the box net to the stereo, turning the volume down at the same time. When he turned around, he saw Rachel examining his car's engine.

"What are you doing?"

Rachel looked up at him.

"Just confirming my suspicions." She waited until he was at her side again before continuing. "This is the standard set up, right?"

"What?"

"You haven't modified anything on your car, have you? Performance wise?"

Puck shook his head.

"No. Only the sound system. Then again, there isn't really anywhere in Lima to modify a car."

Rachel nodded, as though she had been expecting this answer.

"I thought so. Can I be brutally honest for a moment?" Puck nodded. "Challenging me to a drag race was the worst thing you could have done. You never had a chance. Not in terms of power." She looked up at him. "Follow me."

She walked back out to her car, Puck trailing close behind her. When she reached her Evo, she popped the hood, propping the metal up.

Puck let out a low whistle, running his eyes over the engine held within.

"Damn, girl."

Rachel smiled.

"Like I said, in a straight line, you have nowhere near enough power to compete with me. Running a circuit, you might have stood more of a chance. On a circuit, it's not about what you have under the hood, it's how you use it. That's what I'm going to teach you."

Puck mulled over these words as Rachel lowered the hood and walked back to the garage with him.

"So, what exactly are you going to teach me?"

Rachel smiled enigmatically.

"Driving instructors teach you how to drive. I'm going to teach you how to _drive_."

Puck sighed dramatically.

"Well, thanks for that."

Rachel laughed.

"You're welcome."

Puck opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by the door at the back of the garage opening. Rachel looked up to see a young girl walking through, looking around.

"Hey Noah, Mom said dinner's..." She trailed off as her eyes found Rachel, who smiled down at the girl.

"Hi."

The girl nodded cautiously.

"Hi." She turned to her older brother. "Who's she? Is she your girlfriend?"

Puck let out a bark of laughter as Rachel flushed slightly.

"No, Sara. Not yet, anyway." he added, winking at Rachel, who glared back at him.

"Mom said dinner's ready."

Puck nodded.

"All right, I'll be in in a minute." He waited until Sara had left the garage before turning back to Rachel, who arched an eyebrow as she looked him in the eye. "What?"

"'Not yet'? Confident, aren't you?"

Puck smirked as he leaned against his car.

"Yep."

Rachel allowed a smirk of her own to grace her lips.

"Look, Noah, you're pretty good-looking. I won't deny that." Puck's smirk widened, which caused Rachel's to widen as well. "But I'm not going to sleep with you."

Puck's smirk faltered for a moment, but he managed to recover swiftly.

"Is that your final answer?"

Rachel let out a soft laugh.

"Goodbye, Noah."

See you, Racer Girl."

Rachel smiled as she walked back to her car. Puck watched her as she got in and pulled away. As soon as she was out of sight, the smirk fell from his lips, to be replaced by a slight frown.

_Did the Puckasaurus just get shot down?_

-x-x-x-x-x-

Han guided his Mazda through the twisting slopes of the parking lot, getting a feel for the place as he ascended. He could certainly see why it had been chosen for a drifting competition. The tight hairpin bends and slightly slippery surface made it almost perfect.

The sound of a large crowd of people was getting louder as he ascended. He followed the noise, certain that that was his destination.

His suspicions were confirmed when he burst up onto the top story. There was a large crowd milling around several exotic looking cars. All were low slung, with large, slippy tires. Han had to give these people credit. These people certainly seemed to know what they were doing.

He pulled his car up next to a Silvia S15. Getting out, he gave the Nissan an admiring look before scanning his eyes over the crowd. He knew the rest of the crew, bar Roman, were here, but he couldn't see them anywhere. He took this as a good sign. They didn't need any more attention than was strictly necessary.

A young man who looked to be in his mid-twenties sidled up to Han.

"It's nice, huh?" he said.

"Mhmm." Han hummed in agreement.

"What are you driving?"

Han jabbed his thumb over his shoulder.

"RX-7." the man said, nodding approvingly. "How does it drive?"

Han looked over at him.

"You want to find out?"

The man chuckled.

"I only race for pinks."

Han smiled. This was all going according to plan.

"That's convenient. So do I."

The man laughed.

"I like you, man. You've got balls."

He walked away, shouting something across the sea of people. Han let him go, not overly concerned with the current situation. Brian had told him to challenge for pink slips, but this guy had beaten him to it.

His attention was caught by a woman sporting a fedora slinking over to him. As she approached, Han let out a soft laugh. Only Gisele could be so discreet and yet so obvious at the same time.

"What's going on?" she asked, once she was close enough.

"I've got a race."

Gisele nodded.

"I'll let Brian know. We need to be ready." She pressed a kiss to his lips. "Good luck." she whispered as she pulled away, turning and disappearing back into the crowd. Han watched her go, a wry smile playing on his lips.

The young man was back within moments.

"You ready to go?" he asked. Han nodded.

"Let's do it."

Both men slid into their respective cars. Han revved his engine, bringing the Mazda round to the improvised starting line. He watched as another young man stepped between the cars.

"All right, all right! The rules are simple; first one to the bottom wins! The loser... walks home!"

The crowd cheered. These were always the races to watch; the ones where everything was on the line.

Han shifted his grip on the steering wheel. This was his forte. This was where he felt most at home. He was going to win this. He could feel it.

"Ready?"

Han nodded, revving his engine.

"Steady?"

The Nissan's engine roared.

The crowd faded into silence. Han could hear nothing but the rumbling of his engine, feel nothing but the thrum of his car. This was it. All or nothing.

"GO!"

-x-x-x-x-x-

"What's taking her so long?"

Brittany sighed lightly as she removed her lips from Quinn's neck. This was the fourth time in half an hour that Santana had asked that question.

"She said she'd be back soon, San. Give her time."

Santana huffed in annoyance as she crossed her arms over her chest, returning her attention to the zombie apocalypse playing out on the screen.

Quinn stole a quick glance at the Latina before looking at Brittany.

"I guess you were right." she whispered. Brittany nodded, smiling.

"Told you."

"Whatever it is the two of you are whispering about, can you save it for later?" Santana asked, glaring at the couple.

Quinn smirked at Brittany.

"Sorry, S."

She let herself relax back into the chair, only half-watching the movie while Brittany resumed peppering her neck with kisses.

The doorbell rang five minutes later. Santana surged out of her chair as though the seat had suddenly caught fire. She flushed slight at her own over-enthusiasm, composed herself then left the room at a much less frantic pace.

She opened the front door to a rather harried looking Rachel.

"Hey, sorry I took so long. I got some pizzas on the way." she explained, holding up four large pizza boxes.

Santana nodded, stepping back and allowing Rachel to enter.

"No problem. Come on, you haven't missed much."

Rachel followed Santana through the house to the living room. Depositing the pizza boxes on a nearby table, Rachel glanced at the couch to see Quinn and Brittany all over each other, a mess of limbs so entangled it was difficult to see where one girl ended and the other began.

Santana made a sweeping motion with her hand around the room.

"Welcome to Movie Night with the Glitter Twins."

Brittany detached herself from Quinn's neck at Santana's words, looking over toward the door. As soon as she saw Rachel, she vaulted over the couch, rushing toward the small brunette and wrapping her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Rachel!"

Rachel laughed as she returned the hug.

"Hi Brittany."

Quinn popped her head over the back of the couch, her hair slightly disheveled. She nodded at Rachel as Brittany released her.

"Rachel."

Rachel nodded back, by now used to this slightly frosty greeting.

"Quinn."

A beat of awkward silence hung in the air, broken only by the splattering of some unfortunate zombie's brains on the screen, before Brittany grabbed Rachel's hand, pulling her further into the room.

"Come on, Rach! We're having a zombie marathon!"

"A zombie marathon?" Rachel asked, looking at the screen.

"Yeah." Santana said, following the two girls into the room. "Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later and the entire first season of The Walking Dead. That's cool with you, right?" she asked, glancing at Rachel.

"Yeah, of course it is." Rachel grinned. Back in LA, she had spent many an hour watching just about every zombie film ever made with Roman. She would have never pegged him as a zombie nerd, but, in the man's own words, "You gotta be prepared for anything, man."

Santana and Brittany both reseated themselves. Rachel glanced around before sitting down herself next to Santana. Quinn looked across to the two girls sat side by side, noting the smile on Santana's lips.

"You seem to be in a better mood now, San."

Santana shrugged.

"Well, yeah. I don't have to be Johnny-No-Mates over here while you two get your mack on. Not that I mind the free show, but I'm trying to watch a movie here."

Brittany looked over at Santana.

"Really? 'Cause I could totally lend you our tape if you want."

"Britts!" Quinn exclaimed, flushing bright scarlet. Santana cackled, saving that reaction in her memory for later amusement, while Rachel looked anywhere in the room except at the two blondes on the couch, a pink tinge covering her cheeks.

"What?"

"That was meant to be private!"

Brittany's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh. Sorry, San. Quinn says no."

Santana's shoulders were shaking with the effort of containing her mirth.

"That's okay, B." she finally managed to choke out.

Brittany nodded, looking back at Quinn, whose face was hard, her eyes burning a hole in the wall.

"Are you angry, Q?"

Quinn's expression softened immediately.

"With you, B? Never."

Santana grinned as the two blondes pressed their lips together, leaning over to Rachel.

"Whipped."

Rachel nodded.

"Totally."


	9. LA Drift, Part II

Dom leaned back against the wall, folding his arms loosely over his chest, watching the scene unfold before him.

The team had decided that they would attract less attention if they staggered their arrivals. To this end, they had all ensured they were in the complex before Han arrived, scoping out the scene for potential difficulties. So far, Dom had seen nothing out of the ordinary, and took the fact that he couldn't see any of his crew mates as a good sign. If they were invisible, even to him, they were doing their job properly.

He scanned the crowd again, but couldn't see any sign of Hector. Not that he was surprised. They had predicted the man wouldn't be likely to be here, but he had held onto just a small flicker of hope that he would be.

He knew Brian had said to the police that they only wanted to chat to Hector, but that was pushing the limits of what could be considered the truth. The race organizer had messed with Rachel, and therefore, by extension, Dom's family. And no one messed with Dom's family. That was a lesson the entire crew wanted to teach Hector. And they all had a way with words.

Unlike the others, Dom wasn't foolish enough to think that anything they did to Hector would bring Rachel back to LA. The least they could do was give themselves at least a small sense of vindication. That would have to do.

"Dominic Toretto."

Dom's head whipped round at the sound of his name. He immediately saw the owner of the voice. A lean, young man who appeared to be in his twenties was standing a few feet away, staring straight at Dom, a small smirk on his face.

Dom pushed himself off the wall, squaring his shoulders and taking a step towards the young man.

"Who are you?"

The man's smirk widened.

"The name's Jackson Emerson." Jackson said, taking a step closer to Dom, closing the gap slightly. "I've gotta say, I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you gave up racing." He shrugged. "At least Berry had the balls to race."

Dom's eyes widened at Jackson's insinuation.

"What did you say?"

In one swift movement, Dom crossed the rest of the distance between them, grabbing Jackson by the collar and slamming him against the wall.

"What do you know?" he snarled, his noses millimeters from Jackson's. Jackson simply smirked, that annoying, infuriating smirk.

"I know she owes me a car."

Dom slammed Jackson against the wall again, coming to a sudden and stark realization.

"You're the one she was racing."

Jackson nodded.

"You're sharp." He stared Dom straight in the eye. "Like I said, she owes me a car. So, where is she?"

Dom laughed.

"You really think I'm gonna tell you?"

"Well, you have two choices." Jackson said calmly. "Either you can tell me, or I'll find out some other way."

Dom's eyes hardened.

"Good luck with that."

Jackson smirked. Then flew into action. He brought his hands up, breaking through Dom's grip on his shirt. Before Dom could react, Jackson grabbed his shoulders, pulling him down while driving a knee into his stomach. Dom doubled over as all the breath rushed from his lungs. Jackson took the opportunity, turning tail and running.

"Oh, no, you don't." Dom said, forcing air into his lungs before chasing after Jackson.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Letty saw the commotion on the other side of the parking lot out of the corner of her eye. As she looked round to get a better look, she saw Dom double over, then chase after the young man he had been talking to previously.

"Oh, shit."

She set off immediately, shouldering her way through the crowd. There were shouts of annoyance, but she ignored them all.

Once she was free of the crowd, she barreled through the door Dom and his quarry had just gone through. She ran down the stairs, leaping the final six, bursting out onto the lower level. Looking around, she couldn't see any sign of Dom or his prey.

The slamming of car doors caught her attention. Looking around, she saw two cars, a Subaru and a Dodge Charger, whip past her, engines roaring.

She didn't spare another second. Sprinting across the tarmac, she dug her hand in her pocket, pulling out her keys and unlocking her Honda Civic as she ran. She yanked the door open, throwing herself in. She started the engine and pulled away quickly, tires screeching on the ground, giving chase to the two cars that had just passed her.

-x-x-x-x-x-

"GO!"

Han slammed his foot onto the accelerator. The back wheels spun before finding purchase on the road surface. His car lurched forward, quicker off the line than the Nissan. Twisting the wheel slightly, he brought his car over to the middle of the 'track', effectively blocking his opponent from overtaking.

He shifted his grip on the steering wheel as he approached the first turn, a vicious hairpin around a column. He shifted down a gear, yanked his handbrake up and twisting the wheel sharply to the right. The back end of the Mazda slid out, the entire car sliding gracefully around the pillar. Han let out a shout of laughter as the adrenaline coursed through him. This, he decided, was living.

He glanced in his rear view mirror as he buried the accelerator. The driver of the Nissan had just completed his own drift, though he seemed to have overcooked it, the car going through almost 270 degrees before he regained control. Han smiled to himself. He had this.

Flooring the accelerator, the Mazda burst over the lip of the first ramp, all four wheels leaving the ground. Han braced himself for the impact when the car hit the ground, throwing his body around violently, held in place by just his racing belt. Another glance in his rear view mirror showed his opponent hot on his heels.

Han slid his car around the second pillar, once again nailing the drift. He floored the accelerator, only to slam on his brakes as three cars burst across the lot in front of him. Dropping down a gear, he pulled away, though the reduction on speed had cost him. The Nissan blasted past him, the slipstream buffeting the Mazda. Han cursed, shifted up a gear and floored the accelerator.

He soon caught up again. From his vantage point, he could make out the three cars in front of him. The first, a blue Subaru, he didn't recognize, but the other two...

He grabbed his radio.

"Dom?"

Dom's reply was instantaneous.

"Not now, Han!"

The procession of cars all slid around the next pillar, something the drivers may have considered beautiful were they in any position to appreciate it. Once he was back on a straight, Han grabbed his radio again.

"Letty? The fuck's going on?"

Letty's answer wasn't quite as rapid as Dom's had been.

"I don't know! Don't worry about us, just stay focussed!"

Han was right behind the Nissan now. All he had to do was wait for an opportunity to pass him.

He didn't have to wait long.

Evidently, the driver of the Nissan had got bored of being stuck behind the other cars. Han veered to the left as the Nissan's brake lights came on, far too early. He watched as the Nissan slid around a pillar in the middle of the lot, seemingly determined to overtake the other cars. Han's eyes widened as the whole world seemed to move in slow motion. The timing was off. He just knew it.

He was right.

As he watched, the Nissan slid around the pillar. But it was too far out. Obviously the driver had noticed it too. The front wheels turned rapidly, the effects of the driver attempting to counter-steer, to correct his mistake, the engine screaming in protest as the driver gunned the engine, trying to overpower the handbrake.

It was no use. The back end of the Silvia smashed against the next pillar, sending the car spinning, directly into the path of the Subaru. The Subaru kept right on going, the driver having no time to adjust his course. The car collided with the front of the Nissan, sending it spinning away, coming to a rest with a resounding crash against a nearby pillar. The engine cut out almost instantly.

Han let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He slid the Mazda around the pillar, following Dom and Letty.

"This race is done, let's get out of here!" Han shouted into the radio.

"Not yet, we've gotta catch this bastard!" came Dom's reply.

Han's grip tightened on the wheel as he focussed his attention on the Subaru, which was, incredibly, continuing to outstrip them.

_What does Dom know?_

-x-x-x-x-x-

Brian looked up as the sound of car engines reached the assembled crowd at the bottom of the parking lot. His brow furrowed as he listened. Something was wrong. There were too many engines.

Moments later, four cars burst around the corner, racing for the exit. Heading up the charge was a blue Subaru, the driver, Brian had no idea. Following closely behind, Dom's Charger, Letty's Honda and Han's Mazda. None of them looked like they were going to stop anytime soon.

"Fuck!"

Brian turned, barging through the crowd, ignoring the shouts of anger and protest. Glancing behind him, he could see Tej and Gisele also fighting through the crowd.

Brian's feet pounded along the sidewalk as he rushed to his Skyline. His team mates already had a large head start on them, he couldn't afford to waste any more time.

Swinging himself in, he started the engine as he adjusted his headset. A loud whining sound was followed by a blur of movement beside him as Gisele rocketed past on her bike.

He pulled away quickly, accelerating off in the direction he had seen Dom and the rest of the crew go. Turning a corner, he could just see the cars up ahead, weaving in and out of traffic. He shifted up a gear, then floored the accelerator. He was pushed back into his seat as the custom engine sent a whirlwind of power to the tires, closing the gap between himself and his team mates.

"Dom, what the fuck's going on?" Brian shouted, once he had caught up with the other cars, Tej following closely behind him.

"Don't let that Subaru get away!" came Dom's reply. "The driver was the guy who was racing Rachel!"

Brian's expression hardened and his grip on the wheel tightened. Fuck Hector, fuck Thompson, this would end, here and now. He shifted up again, pressing the accelerator to the floor, coaxing even more power out of the engine.

Incredibly, impossibly, the Subaru managed to keep ahead of the crew. Brian growled in frustration. Every time he managed to get close to the car, the Subaru would put on another burst of speed. It was infuriating. On paper, the Subaru should never have had a chance.

_He has to be running a custom engine._ Brian thought, as the Subaru pulled away from him yet again. _No way that's factory._

The Subaru veered off sharply, causing Dom, Letty and Brian to lose it completely.

"Damn it!" Brian heard Dom's voice over the radio. "Han, Tej, Gisele, stay on him! We'll go around and try to cut him off!"

The three indicated drivers turned, following the Subaru as Dom, Brian and Letty all put on a burst of speed, hoping to reach the next junction before the Subaru did.

Brian began prepping his NOS injectors, taking advantage of the momentary lull. He watched the pressure gauge rise steadily, took a deep breath, then slammed both thumbs onto the release buttons on the steering wheel.

The sudden burst of power threw him back in his seat, pinning him to the leather by the sheer force. He glanced at the speedometer. 100, 120, 140. He fought to keep the steering wheel steady. One sudden jerk at this speed and the entire car would spin out, leaving him unable to assist the crew.

He couldn't have timed it better. Just as the last of the nitrous oxide burned out, the next junction presented itself to him. Brian wrenched the handbrake up, twisting the wheel. The car slid around the corner, the back end sliding out a little too far, forcing Brian to counter-steer, feathering the throttle to correct his mistake.

He pushed his foot all the way to the floor, speeding along the street, milking the engine for everything it had. He had just reached the next turning when the Subaru whipped past.

"Damn it!"

He slid the Skyline around the corner, narrowly avoiding Gisele's bike as he did so. Shifting up a gear, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he gave chase once again.

The traffic was getting worse. It took almost all of Brian's concentration not to plow into the back of another car as he wove between the other vehicles.

"Gisele, can you shoot out his tires?" he asked, adjusting the position of his headset slightly.

"Not at these speeds!" came the rather muffled reply.

Brian frowned as he snuck his car past a Toyota in the middle lane. He had to admit, this guy certainly seemed more than capable behind a wheel.

His eyes widened as the Subaru put on a sudden burst of speed.

_NOS..._

His eyes flicked to the computer screen, checking the display briefly. It didn't make for good reading. His NOS injectors were nowhere near ready to be used again, and he was running out of gears. This chase was starting to look futile.

The Subaru swerved round another corner. Thanks to the gap between them, Brian was more than ready for the maneuver this time. He slid his own car round the corner, then skidded to a halt, his face falling in disbelief.

Before him sat a maze of brake lights, the cars creating a shimmering, metal labyrinth. The Subaru was nowhere to be seen.

"You've got to be kidding me."

The rest of the team pulled up behind him as well.

"Where the hell did he go?!" Dom asked, his voice shaking.

"I don't know." Brian's brow furrowed. How could the car have simply vanished off the face of the earth? "I'm sorry, Dom."

"We're aren't going to find him in this." came Tej's voice, and Brian couldn't help but agree. It would be an exercise in futility.

"What do you want to do, Dom?" Han asked, his voice slightly hesitant. "It's your call."

Dom was silent for a long time, seemingly mulling over the choices.

"As much as I don't want to admit it," he said finally, his voice heavy. "I think we'll have to call it a night."

"Are you sure?" Brian asked. He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. In all the time he'd known Dom, he hadn't once known him to just give up. In Rio, he watched one of his closest friends die, and still insisted on finishing the job.

"No. But we don't really have an alternative." He sighed. "I have a name. We'll have to run with that for the moment. Brian, we'll need access to police databases."

Brian nodded, even though no-one could see.

"I'm sure I can arrange that."

Dom sighed heavily.

"Come on, let's get out of here before the cops show up."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Jackson watched from a side alley as the cars and bike turned around and left the street. As they left, he felt a burst of pride surge up inside him. The so-called 'best team in the world', and he had evaded them all.

Smiling to himself, he pulled out of the alley and rejoined the throng of traffic.

He had some research to do.


End file.
